Low Emission Sheep??
Climate change is all over the news at the moment and will continue to be of huge importance to us for the rest of our lifetimes. We are all trying to do our bit to cut down our impact on the earth. Here at the Felt Box we are continually looking at ways we can reduce our environment footprint. But what about the sheep?
Photo Credit: Fionn McArthur, BBC
One of the biggest contributors to global warming is the livestock we breed and farm. Before we despair though, some wonderful new research is giving us hope. Substituting just 2% of grazing animals' feed can reduce their methane production by up to 50%. But what is it being substituted with? Read this amazing (and encouraging) article to find out more about how sheep are being farmed on the North Ronaldsay in the Orkney Islands.
Photo Credit: Fionn McArthur, BBC
It's not just the Orkney Islands that are driving a new way of farming forward (although we admit it's nice that it's on home turf!) Over in New Zealand seaweed farming is now a big thing and other countries are following in their footsteps. New Zealand, Austria and the US (among others) are now researching seaweed as a viable option to reduce the methane produced by livestock. This article by Riverford Organic Farmers (who, we are proud to say, are almost on our doorstep) gives us a short overview on how research is developing and offers information on further natural sources of food that are being tried and tested as alternatives to the traditional sources of nutrition currently being used.
Here's hoping 2020 paves the way forward for low emission sheep!
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