2025: Market Opportunities to Reduce Dairy Farm Methane Emissions: Assessing Producer and Consumer Acceptance of Feed Additives (Multi-NGO)
Studies suggest that, although feed additives may provide emission reduction in dairy cattle, farmer and consumer acceptance of these products is unclear. In order to examine the market and methane reduction potential of feed additives in the U.S. dairy industry, this research will examine consumers and dairy farmer views of these technologies. Researchers will assess consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for dairy products from cows fed diets containing methane-reducing ingredients, such as 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP), seaweed, tannins, and essential oils. Researchers will also analyze dairy producer attitudes and willingness to supply milk produced using methane-reducing feed additives. Together, these will reveal the market potential for reducing dairy cow methane emissions using feed additives and support the development of market-based and policy mechanisms to accelerate adoption.
This project is part of a dairy sustainability research program jointly managed by Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, The Nature Conservancy, Clean Air Task Force, and Environmental Defense Fund.
Cornell: Christopher Wolf (SC Johnson, Dyson); Wendong Zhang (SC Johnson, Dyson); Mike Van Amburgh (CALS, Animal Science)
NGO Partners: Fernanda Ferreira (CATF); Joe Rudek (EDF); Partha Ray (TNC); Alisha Staggs (TNC)