Asparagopsis seaweed producer nets contract with cattle feed supplement maker

Working with Blue Ocean Barns, Blue Evolution’s seaweed will supplement 1 million cow diets in four years

California-based regenerative climate technology company Blue Evolution will work with a fellow seaweed business that produces a cattle feed supplement to suppress cow burps, which contain the greenhouse gas methane and contribute to the industry’s carbon emissions.

Blue Ocean Barns’ seaweed-based cattle feed supplement, Brominata™️ will soon contain Asparagopsis taxiformis produced by Blue Evolution, which has commercial operations in Mexico and Alaska, the first to be established in both places.

Hawaii-based Blue Ocean Barns was the first to bring a safe seaweed digestive aid to the global market. According to the company, a small inclusion of the all-natural seaweed additive has been shown in published research and on-farm trials to safely eliminate more than 80 percent of cows’ methane production without changing the taste of milk or meat.

“We have great respect for the Blue Ocean Barns team and mission. We believe that by supporting this commercialization and scale-up, we can make climate history together. We want this project to grow quickly to keep up with the world’s emissions-reduction goals,” said Beau Perry, CEO and founder of Blue Evolution, in a release.

Future planned collaborations include Blue Evolution’s staging farm and processing operations at its current aquaculture site in Baja California and scaling up production for Blue Ocean Barns. Blue Ocean Barns’ other commercial partners include Ben & Jerry’s, Clover Sonoma and Straus Family Creamery. Earlier this year, the company was granted authorization to sell Brominata™️ in California by the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture.

Methane is an especially potent greenhouse gas, produced naturally by cattle during the digestion of grass. The methane burps from one cow are equivalent to the greenhouse gasses emitted by one passenger car. When dairy and beef producers cut their methane emissions, they reduce methane, which traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to lower climate temperatures.

Follow the Advocate on Twitter @GSA_Advocate