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Final meeting of the breeding for low methane Climate Smart Cattle Breeding project
On behalf of the finalization of the Climate Smart Cattle Breeding project, a symposium was organized on the topic of breeding for low methane emitting cattle on Wednesday, March 12. The event brought together enthusiastic farmers who had contributed to the project through data collection, alongside researchers and project partners, for a day filled with insight and discussion.
Visitors and speakers – farmers who took part in the Climate Smart Cattle Breeding project, researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and project partners CRV, FrieslandCampina, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature – were welcomed by Roel Veerkamp. Chris van Naarden, representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, opened the program by stressing the urgency of transitioning to more sustainable livestock systems. Through their program "Integraal aanpakken", the government finances research that aims to identify practical measures that reduce emissions of methane and ammonia in a collaborative approach with researchers, livestock farmers, the sector and the government.
Next, Anouk van Breukelen, researcher at Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR), presented the goals and key results of the four-year project. With data collected from over 14,000 cows on 89 farms, researchers were able to estimate genetic parameters essential for developing breeding values for methane emissions. Anouk’s message was clear and hopeful: breeding for lower methane is not only feasible, it’s effective and emissions can be reduced by about 1% per year, without compromising milk production, fertility, or animal health. Anouk concluded her presentation by outlining future research at WUR that can contribute to methane mitigation in livestock farming systems.
Thereafter, Niek Meijer from CRV explained how the results from the project are successfully being put into practice; the first official methane breeding values were published on the 2nd of April 2025 by CRV. Jeroen Heck from FrieslandCampina then illustrated how low-emission breeding contributes directly to their sustainability goals and how farmers can be rewarded. Through the Foqus Planet program, farmers can earn a higher milk price by reducing their carbon footprint. To feed the growing world population in such a way that it has the lowest environmental impact is a big challenge, but low-emitting cows could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of milk.
In the afternoon, three more presenters were welcomed who presented results from collaborative projects. First, Aniek Bouwman, researcher at Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR), presented about connection between a cow’s rumen microbiome and its methane production. Her research highlighted how specific microbes in the rumen are linked to lower methane emissions, offering insight into how microbiology could complement genetic selection in reducing the environmental impact of dairy farming. The final talk was given by Aniek Hilkens and Hilde van den Hoorn from Wageningen Social and Economic Research (WUR). They discussed what may drive or hinder farmers in adopting the methane breeding values. The knowledge resulting from their ongoing work will help shape future policies and support tools that encourage and reward the adoption of breeding for low methane emissions.
The response from the attendees was positive, with many expressing enthusiasm about the fact that the presented breeding strategies offer a concrete and feasible path toward more sustainable dairy farming.
About the Climate Smart Cattle Breeding project
The Climate Smart Cattle Breeding project focuses on the selective breeding of cows as an additional methane mitigation strategy. Since dairy cows’ methane emissions are a significant contributor to the CO2 footprint, and the Dutch agricultural sector faces the challenge of further reducing methane emissions with 2.1 megatonnes by 2030 and even more by 2050, farmers urgently need cost-effective and efficient ways to reduce methane emissions.