Cows, Chemicals, and Control: Bovaer's poisoning of the food chain

Bovaer is a chemical feed additive designed to reduce methane emissions from cows by targeting their digestive systems. The active ingredient, 3-NOP (3-Nitrooxypropanol), is intended to alter the microbiome of cows, suppressing the bacteria responsible for methane production. According to manufacturers, Bovaer will reduce methane emissions by approximately 40%. Yet, this figure only applies to livestock’s contribution to global methane emissions, which itself is merely 12% of the total. In reality, the global impact of Bovaer on methane reduction would be miniscule.