By focusing on scalability, cost-effectiveness, and transparency, additives such as Lome™ are set to make a major impact on methane reduction and help beef and dairy companies hit their climate goals. But beyond that, it’s exciting to see more and more governments recognize and invest in feed additives.
Climate Policy Developer
Volta Greentech
A new methane-reducing additive announced by Volta Greentech, promises cost-effective emission reduction for cows. Built on new R&D breakthroughs, Lome (gen 2) offers a low-cost, scalable solution, vastly outperforming Volta Greentech’s previously algae-based product and cutting the cost for greenhouse gas reductions by 10x.
INTRODUCING A NEXT GENERATION ADDITIVE
Volta Greentech’s new additive will enter the market in 2026, when the product is expected to receive approval from the European Commission. UK approval is expected shortly after. Although the team is keeping the specifics under wraps for now, there are already Letters of Intent (LOIs) secured from major European beef and dairy companies, who are eagerly anticipating its release.
COST-EFFECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT PRICING
Volta Greentech have chosen to price the additive based on tons of carbon reduced, as opposed to per ton of additive. This approach ensures transparency and allows customers, typically beef and dairy companies, to clearly understand the value they’re getting. In an industry rife with dubious claims about emission reductions, this pricing model provides a straightforward way to purchase genuine impact.
This new product is priced below the carbon price. This makes the Lome™ additive an obvious choice for forward-thinking businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint cost-effectively.
COLLABORATION AND POLICY ADVOCACY
Several countries are already recognizing the potential of feed additives. Denmark, for instance, has committed €67 million specifically for feed additives and plans to implement a tax on agricultural emissions from 2027. In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has pledged to incentivize additives from as early as 2025, with an aim to mandate them by 2030. Similarly, Swedish authorities see additives as a key solution to tackling enteric methane. which accounts for 60% of the country’s methane emissions. The climate transition plan, accessible at panorama-sverige.se, predicts 100% adoption of additives by 2045.
BUILDING TRUST THROUGH TRANSPARENCY
A significant challenge in reducing emissions is proving the credibility of any interventions. Given the prevalence of greenwashing scandals, beef and dairy companies are understandably cautious about how they report their emission reduction initiatives.
To address this, Volta Greentech offers the Lome™ Platform alongside their additive. They have partnered with leading beef and dairy companies in Sweden, consultants, and farmers to develop this platform which simplifies the tracking and publication of emission reductions. Multiple successful pilots have been completed with customers such as Coop, Orkla, Hemköp, Protos, and Martin & Servera. This Lome™ Platform allows beef and dairy companies to transparently showcase their efforts to tackle agriculture’s biggest climate challenge and provide on-package reassurance to consumers that their products align with their high climate action standards.
THE PATH FORWARD
In conclusion, by focusing on scalability, cost-effectiveness, and transparency, additives such as Lome™ are set to make a major impact on methane reduction and help beef and dairy companies hit their climate goals. But beyond that, it’s exciting to see more and more governments recognize and invest in feed additives. With beef and dairy expected to contribute around 50% of the food system’s climate impact by 2030—thanks mainly to enteric fermentation—additive technology is becoming a must for any country serious about meeting climate targets.
It seems likely that strong policy support will make cost-effective additives the norm across Europe. It’s crucial that this support ensures farmers don’t lose out. Provided policy is carefully designed, without extra burdens on farmers, this technology has the potential to become the solar power of the agriculture sector.
FINAL NOTE
All hands are needed for ensuring that such policy happens, and happens in a positive way for the industry. If you are reading this and feel passionately about this issue, please reach out to us.
About Cora Taylor
Cora Taylor is a climate policy developer at Volta Greentech. Her day-to-day role includes organising industry workshops, speaking at climate or agriculture events and supporting customers to implement Volta’s additive. She has a Masters in Environmental Policy and Science from Lund University and became fascinated with the additive/ cow concept whilst working on a consulting project with the company in 2020. She has since been unable to stay away from it. Cora Taylor published a thesis ‘The viability of feeding seaweed to cows,’ and has worked for Volta Greentech since mid-2021.
