Tag: Cattle

• Mooving in The Wrong Direction?

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  Much research around agriculture, specifically cows, focuses on how to make them more efficient, such as identifying breeds which produce the most milk, but little research goes into trying to reduce the methane emissions of cows without simply stopping production. Until Hilda…

  Hilda

  Hilda is the first cow to be born with genes that reduce methane emissions. IVF technology allows the breeding of cows like Hilda to occur faster. Calves usually must reach the age of two before they can reproduce, however, scientists predict this way of reproduction could be half that. I am by no means an expert in agriculture, but the immediate question that comes to mind is: what is the effect on birth mothers? IVF involves recovering oocytes from a cow, which, once matured in a lab, needs to be returned to the uterus, which to me seems rather invasive than conventional forms of reproduction.

  Other options

  Previously, supermarkets have experimented with feeding cattle additives to reduce the amount of methane, but concerns regarding the consistency of feed throughout seasons and the high cost make the idea unattractive to farmers.

  Maybe rather than focusing on the cows, we should be focusing on changing consumer habits. There are plenty of other iron or calcium-rich foods/drinks available which have a significantly smaller impact on our Earth. For example, tofu, red kidney beans, chickpeas, leafy greens such as spinach, and coconut milk. Large supermarkets have the opportunity to advertise other products with a lower carbon footprint rather than changing the way farmers rear their cattle, which will have a much larger, long-lasting impact. This begs the question, is it a sustainability concern or an economic opportunity?

  Farming cattle is a huge community which provides income to many families accross the world, weather they engage in convential techniques or more modern forms of IVF, livlihoods depend on it. Therefore, I see it as unnecessary to eradicate the farming of cows, but the mass production we currently demand must deflate to keep our planet within its boundaries.

  3rd Jan 2025

  Agriculture, Cattle, Cows, Dairy Farmers, Farmers, Overconsumption, Supermarkets, Sustainable Development

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• Mushroom Leather

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  Besides humans, cows are one of the most environmentally harmful animals, they not only require large amounts of land to graze which is often fertilised with harmful chemicals, but they also release high amounts of methane – a greenhouse gas. When such gasses are released into the atmosphere they insulate the earth as energy is absorbed and it becomes harder for heat to leave the atmosphere, leading to climate change. Methane is responsible for approximately 30% of the earth’s current temperature increases, suggesting we need to reduce the amount of dairy and beef farming, including the slaughtering of cattle for leather production.

  What is mycelium?

  Philip Ross and Jonas Edvard experimented with various materials and found that mycelium, the network of fungi threads that grow underground below a mushroom, is a sturdy and durable alternative to conventional leather. Mycelium naturally grows in places where there is wood and plant waste which contain sugars necessary for growth.

  Why use it?

  Producing leather from mycelium significantly reduces the number of resources needed to make a leather product. Unlike cattle, mycelium grows by breaking down sugar in agricultural waste with limited water and energy required for its growth, this makes it easy and sustainable to produce. Additionally, all forms of leather made from fungi are biodegradable, contributing to a circular economy where products can be recycled and given a new life! Finally, there are no traces of animal products or by-products of animals in the process of producing fungi leather, making it vegan-friendly!

  However, whilst the process of producing such leather is extremely fast, it comes with a large economic cost due to the small production sizes. But as mentioned before on this blog, the more we create demand for these sustainable products, the cheaper and more accessible they become.

  To conclude…

  Have you ever bought something leather because it comes from a cow? The answer is probably no, we consume leather because of its quality, it’s soft and durable. Therefore, if we can replace the unsustainable aspect of this process – the cow- we are left with a material that meets our needs and has significantly less environmental harm. Below are some brands that have used mycelium leather:

  • Stella McCartney
  • Lululemon
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Hermès

  27th Sep 2024

  Cattle, Climate Change, Consumerism, Farming, Fungi, Leather, Methane

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