The role of animal genetic improvement in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from beef cattle

In Australia emissions from the livestock industries represent 10.9% of the net national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2006, and most of these were from sheep and cattle. With the government signalling its commitment to reduce emissions, industries need to develop emissions reduction strategies. This paper identifies some of the current genetic improvement practices in beef cattle that reduce GHG emissions and also identifies new areas for further research with potential for GHG reductions. Current GHG emission reduction strategies in beef cattle are reliant on improving productivity of cattle in order to reduce emissions per unit of product. Hence emissions reduction at the national level is largely reliant on there being a cap or reduction in animal numbers. In the long term it is important that strategies that directly reduce GHG emissions per unit of feed intake be developed.