Bovaer®
Bovaer®
Every dairy could use additional, diversified income. That’s where Bovaer® from Elanco comes in. Bovaer is one of the most scientifically researched and recognized methane-reduction feed ingredients globally. Bovaer provides an access point for dairy producers to be financially rewarded for reducing their dairy’s carbon footprint by decreasing their herd’s enteric methane emissions.
Why Bovaer
- Bovaer provides dairy producers with an opportunity for a diversified income stream that is not dependent on milk markets: the carbon marketplace.
- At the forefront of the industry, Bovaer reduces enteric methane emissions by approximately 1.2 metric ton (MT) CO2e per lactating dairy cow per year.1
- Bovaer has no negative impact on the quantity or quality of milk produced.2
Bovaer provides an opportunity for a diversified income stream that’s not dependent on milk markets: the carbon marketplace.
If you’re just beginning to learn about the carbon market, we’ve got you covered. Learn how the market works, why it’s here to stay and how you can earn valuable incentives for participating.
How Bovaer Works
Include in ration
Bovaer 10 is incorporated into a ration at 540 grams/ton (100% dry matter basis) to provide 27.2 mg/lb (or 60 mg/kg) of 3-NOP to lactating cows. It is often added to a concentrate or mineral mix from a feed mill.
Enzyme suppression
In a cow’s rumen, microbes help break down feed. This releases hydrogen and carbon dioxide. An enzyme combines these gases to form methane. Bovaer suppresses the enzyme, so less methane is generated.
Methane reduction you can market
Bovaer reduces enteric methane emissions by approximately 1.2 MT CO2e per lactating dairy cow annually, depending on dose and diet.1 These reductions can be marketed and sold in the carbon marketplace.
Dairy producers have a storied history of improving the sustainability of their operations. A spirit of continuous improvement is a common thread of today’s most successful operations. Bovaer allows dairy producers to continue this tradition and get the credit they deserve.
Capture value with Bovaer
Bovaer provides an opportunity for dairy producers to be financially rewarded for reducing their dairy’s carbon footprint by decreasing their herd’s enteric methane emissions. Financial incentives are captured with the help of Elanco’s sustainability insights engine, UpLook™ and a third-party carbon marketplace like Athian, Truterra or others.
Feed Bovaer Decrease the emission of enteric methane by approximately 1.2 MT CO2e per lactating dairy cow annually.1 | Use UpLook Quantify the impact on your operation’s carbon footprint. | Get Value A third party such as Athian, Truterra or others will verify your eligibility and applicable carbon credits for your emissions reductions and issue payment. You may qualify for additional income via government incentives or other programs. |
Frequently asked questions
We understand that consumers may have questions about how cattle are raised and what goes into their diet. As a company, we’re committed to bringing safe, effective and scientifically proven innovations to farmers that help them improve animal health and wellbeing and raise livestock more sustainably. Bovaer is a first-in-class methane reducing feed ingredient. In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration completed a comprehensive, multi-year review of Bovaer and determined the product meets safety and efficacy requirements to be fed to lactating dairy cattle.
Bovaer is a safe, effective feed ingredient mixed into the feed that a lactating dairy cow eats to help reduce methane emissions. Feeding Bovaer to cattle has proven to be safe for animals, producers and consumers. Bovaer is not present in milk.
Bovaer is the most extensively studied and scientifically proven methane-reducing feed ingredient, with more than 15 years of research and more than 85 peer-reviewed published articles. Regulatory authorities around the world, including the FDA, the UK Food Standards Agency, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have completed multi-year reviews confirming the safety and efficacy of Bovaer for use in lactating dairy cattle. Today, Bovaer is available in more than 68 countries.
Approximately one tablespoon of Bovaer per day in the diet of a lactating dairy cow reduces enteric methane emissions by about 30% or about 1.2 metric tons annually. Bovaer works by suppressing the enzyme that creates methane while cows digest their food. As it acts, the feed ingredient is safely broken down into natural compounds, which are already present and processed by the cow’s normal digestive and metabolic processes. Due to its extensive metabolism, milk from animals fed Bovaer is safe for human consumption.
Feeding one million lactating dairy cows Bovaer reduces emissions equivalent to removing 285,000 gasoline powered cars from the road annually.
As world leaders look for ways to reduce methane emissions to meet sustainability and climate goals, Bovaer represents a safe and science-based opportunity. Environmental organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the Global Research Alliance on Agriculture Greenhouse Gases have publicly recognized Bovaer’s methane-reducing opportunity.
Elanco is proud to bring Bovaer to U.S. dairy farms, working alongside the entire dairy value chain, including the milk cooperatives, food companies and farmers, to help the dairy industry meet their sustainability and climate goals and continue to meet consumer demand for more sustainable dairy products.
Explore our frequently asked questions to learn more about Bovaer and how it may fit into your operation.
I’m Interested in Bovaer
Are you ready to get the credit you deserve? Join us in advancing dairy sustainability today.
Stay informed about Bovaer and Elanco’s line of products and services that contribute value to livestock producers and consumer priorities.
If you’re ready to start your sustainability journey and learn more about UpLook.
Learn more about Bovaer and how you could earn value through enteric methane reduction.
1 Kebreab E, et al. A meta-analysis of effects of 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane production, yield and intensity in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci. 2023:106(2)927-936.
2 Hristov AN, Melgar A, Wasson D, Arndt C. Symposium review: Effective nutritional strategies to mitigate enteric methane in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci. 2022:105(10):8543–57.
Bovaer is a trademark of dsm-firmenich. Elanco, UpLook and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. ©2024 Elanco or its affiliates. PM-US-23-2462(3)
