Spark Climate Solutions, in partnership with the UC Davis CLEAR Center, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, has released the official summary of the 2024 State of the Science Summit: Reducing Methane from Animal Agriculture, spotlighting groundbreaking research and collaborative solutions to address methane emissions—one of the most potent drivers of climate change. The summit brought together 400 leading experts from academia, government, industry, and non-governmental organizations to develop actionable strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring sustainable food production and food security for a global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050.

Methane accounts for 30% of current global warming, with livestock emissions representing a significant share. The summit emphasized the urgent need for scalable, science-driven solutions to meet ambitious climate goals.

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The Summit summary report is now live, and includes the following key highlights: 

1. Innovative Solutions for Methane Mitigation: Cutting-edge strategies discussed include feed additives, genetic selection for low-emission cattle, anti-methane vaccines, and microbiome engineering. Research on integrating these solutions into real-world agricultural systems has demonstrated significant potential to reduce emissions.
2. California Leading by Example: California’s incentive-based programs, such as the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program, have already achieved substantial methane reductions. California is now looking to achieve its methane reduction targets through enteric methane reductions.
3. Global Collaboration and Investment: Delegates from Brazil, Ireland, and New Zealand shared insights into their national methane reduction strategies, including sustainable grazing practices and low-carbon agriculture plans. International initiatives, like the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, are uniting resources to develop scale global solutions.
4. Importance of Measurement and Data: Robust data collection and verification systems, supported by USDA investments, are enabling better tracking of methane reductions and building trust across stakeholders. Such efforts are critical to ensuring transparency and accountability in methane mitigation efforts.
5. A Focus on Farmers: Farmers are key stakeholders, with solutions designed to deliver both environmental benefits and economic incentives. Programs like California’s Alternative Manure Management Program highlight how voluntary adoption of climate-smart practices can drive meaningful change while putting money back in farmers’ pockets.

The annual summit and report underscore that achieving methane reduction goals requires an intentional, multi-stakeholder approach and highlights the need for sustained investment in research, farmer engagement, and scalable technologies to combat climate change while supporting global food security.