Farmers Already Have Better Options than GE Fodder.
"Farmers and Producer Boards should look to existing forage plant, livestock, and agricultural systems already proven to
be able to reduce methane emissions rather than heed AgResearch's calls for genetically engineered (GE) fodder crops"
says Claire Bleakley of GE free NZ in Food and Environment.
Pressure from our international trading partners demanding that food is grown sustainably and humanely means we must
concentrate on the existing plant and animal genetics in conjunction with sustainable farming methods to reduce global
warming.
"Given the proven success of existing forage and fodder research that does not carry the stigma of GE experiments, it is
wrong to promise farmers that GE crops are solution to climate change mitigation" [1] says Ms Bleakley.
International research [2] shows that methane emissions are significantly reduced in different forage pastures like
mixed leys and legumes. New Zealand research found that methane emissions rise and fall in direct relationship to the
levels of pasture quality; the age of the animal all influencing the production of milk, meat and wool [3]. Sulla,
Lucerne and Trefoil clovers with high levels of condensed tannins reduced methane emissions in cows and increased milk
production. Sheep fed on a legume forage also had a 13% decrease in methane emissions.[4]
"A sustainable and better way foward for New Zealand farmers without the safety doubts and widespread economic risks of
GE is to fund and further Develop and Research legume-grass pastures that are not engineered." says Ms Bleakley " and
advise farmers on what pastures to grow that reduce methane emissions today."
[1] Neil Wallace Claim GE could curb global warming, Otago Daily Times, 3/8/09 News: Farming
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/farming/67987/claim-ge-could-curb-global-warming
[2] Wittenberg K.M. Enteric methane emissions and mitigation opportunities for Canadian cattle production systems.
Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2
‘Energy lost as enteric methane emissions were 7.1 % of GEI for alfalfa-grass vs. 9.5 % of GEI for grass-only pastures.
An 11 % increase for calf growth rates on the legume-grass pasture would serve as further incentive to consider legume
incorporation as a mitigation strategy” (p6)
Ominski K and Wittenberg K.M (2004) Strategies For Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions In Forage-Based Beef Production
Systems, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canadian Society of Agronomy, Animal Science and Soil Science.
[3] Mountfort M., (2003) Methane mitigation Dairy Exporter; p56.
[4] Carulla, J. E., M. Kreuzer, A. Machmuller, and H. D. Hess. 2005. Supplementation of Acacia mearnsii tannins
decreases methanogenesis and urinary nitrogen in forage-fed sheep. Austr. J. Agric. Res. 56:96
ENDS