25 July 2024

3 minute read

By: Global Ag Media

North America

On Monday, the Lawrence MacAulay, Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced 13 semi-finalists, under the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge, who are working to advance economically viable and scalable practices, processes, and technologies designed to reduce enteric methane emissions produced by cattle, according to a government-issued press release. 

The $12-million Challenge, launched in November 2023 in partnership with Impact Canada, uses a staged approach to move innovators through the process of developing and deploying their solutions in the cow-calf, dairy and feedlot sectors. The first stage of the Challenge attracted 86 applications from innovators across Canada and internationally. The 13 semi-finalists' entries span a diverse range of areas including feed additives and related technologies; production efficiencies and animal management systems; and pasture and grazing management approaches.

Each semi-finalist will receive up to $153,846 and move on to the prototype development stage of the Challenge. Over the next eight months, semi-finalists will continue to advance their solution and may be eligible to receive additional funding of up to $230,000. From the 13 semi-finalists, a total of up to 10 finalists will be selected in Spring 2026. Each eligible finalist will receive up to $500,000 to assist with testing their solution's effectiveness in reducing enteric methane emissions. In the final stage of the Challenge, finalists will compete to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1 million, to be announced at the end of 2028.

"The Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge is bringing together innovators from right across the country who have new ideas about how to reduce agricultural methane emissions," said MacAulay. "I would like to congratulate all of the semi-finalists and wish them luck as they compete in the next phase of the Challenge."

Quick Facts

• With over 11 million cattle and calves on 72,275 farms and ranches, Canada is one of the largest exporters of sustainable cattle in the world.
• In 2022, agriculture was responsible for 27% of Canada's total methane emissions, the majority coming from enteric fermentation produced by beef and dairy cattle.
• Canadian herds are also responsible for preserving approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon in Canadian soil, and protecting over 60 endangered species who live in the wild grasslands where they graze.
• The Challenge builds on the Government of Canada's actions to reduce methane emissions through Canada's Methane Strategy, in support of the Global Methane Pledge, 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, and the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.
• An independent and voluntary jury, composed of subject matter experts from a diverse range of backgrounds, plays an important role in reviewing solutions and recommending winners at each stage of the Challenge.
• Entries under the Challenge were evaluated against established criteria, including net reduction in enteric methane emissions, innovation, scalability, economic viability, commercialization and/or adoption, environmental co-benefits, and social assessment.
• Projects and final funding are subject to negotiation of a contribution agreement.