Challenges and solutions for sustainable livestock farming: Strategies for reducing methane emissions in milk production

Climate change has placed increasing pressure on various production sectors to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the center of this challenge is livestock farming, which provides high-nutritional-value food but contributes significantly to global methane (CH₄) emissions. Enteric fermentation in ruminants, a natural process during digestion, is estimated to account for approximately 30% of global methane emissions attributed to human activities, known as anthropogenic emissions.

In response to this reality, new technologies, management practices and innovative approaches have emerged with the aim of reducing emissions.

This eBook aims to explore the main methane mitigation strategies in dairy farming, based on the comprehensive review by Beauchemin et al. (2022), published in the Journal of Dairy Science, classifying farms according to their carbon footprints and presenting the specific opportunities for sustainable milk production in Brazil.