Page 36 - Food&Drink March 2022

MEAT, FISH & POULTRY
Surf ’n turf for environmental gain
Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer Australian Agricultural Company is partnering with seaweed manufacturer Sea Forest to reduce methane emissions from its cattle. Kim Berry writes.
A pilot project between Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) and Sea Forest will set the standard for the global use of seaweed in livestock feed, Sea Forest CEO Sam Elsom says.
While the pilot is small – just 81 wagyu cattle – it is anticipated the results will be big.
AACo CEO and managing director Hugh Killen says the trial is an important step to verify the accuracy of research on seaweed in livestock feed.
AACo is the oldest continuously operating company in Australia, working across 6.4 million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory, or roughly one per cent of Australia’s land mass.
“The ability of asparagopsis to reduce enteric methane emissions is widely known, but the technology is yet to be tested in Wagyu and over
300 days in a non-laboratory environment.
”We have been focused on reducing our emissions intensity for several years and are now tackling our methane emissions head on, with a view to expanding the use across our business,” says Killen.
Methane is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas producer after CO2, accounting for 14 per cent of emissions, but it also has a heating effect 34 times that of CO2.
Seaweed has been receiving increased attention due to its high potency of reducing emissions. In August 2021, the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (ASSA) was launched to coordinate the establishment and growth of sustainable seaweed aquaculture. Data from AgriFutures outlined the Australian seaweed industry has the potential to reach $1.5 billioninthenext20years.
Last year, Sea Forest raised $34 million with major players Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and PGA Investments, and received $675,000 from the Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre towards its $50 million project to become a market leader and global supplier of asparagopsis.
Meat and Livestock Australia (which is co-funding the study) managing director Jason Strong says the association is doubling its commitment to environmental projects.
“We’re involved as one of the founders of asparagopsis licensing and the commercialisation of the product and will support demonstration programs with the product going forward,” he says.
The trial will use Sea Forest’s Triabunna facility’s hatchery, which is the country’s largest marine lease growing asparagopsis seaweed and possesses a processing plant to convert seaweed into products which reduce carbon emissions.
Livestock carbon emissions are expected to be cut by 400,000 tonnes annually, with Sea Forest planning to produce 7000 tonnes of seaweed per year.
Sea Forest’s Elsom says, “We commend AACo for recognising the role it can play in helping reduce emissions and focusing on sustainability and the environment.
“We are looking forward to working with AACo to expand the use of our seaweed to all aspects of its cattle production process to achieve important sustainability goals.”
Killen adds, “Only through trials like this can we fast track the application across the broader industry and make the changes that we, along with our customers and the public,expect.” ✷
MAIN: Sea Forest CEO Sam Elsom says the seaweed trial will set the global standard. LEFT: Sea Forest expects to harvest 7000 tonnes of seaweed every year from its Tasmanian hatchery.
36 | Food&Drink business | March 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au