Two major supermarkets are introducing trials in a bid to reduce emissions from its suppliers when UK agriculture currently accounts for 10% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions.

A new four-month methane-reducing feed supplement trial has commenced at Grosvenor Farms, Cheshire, one of the original members of their Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG), which will be adding the supplement Bovaer to the diet of 400 cows, which according to research, has been shown to reduce emissions by as much as 30%.

Meanwhile, Morrisons is supporting the introduction of a seaweed-based livestock feed to help 'fast-track lower carbon beef products.

Grosvenor Farms which is owned by the Duke of Westminster, produces an estimated 32m litres of milk a year and has an ambition to be 'the UK’s leading producer of sustainable milk and cereal grains.'

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According to Tesco if the feed supplement was introduced across the whole of Grosvenor Farms dairy operations, it could lead to an overall reduction in farm greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of up to 12%.

The supermarket group has confirmed that if the four-month trial is successful, it intends to 'scale up' the use of the supplement across the TSDG in a bid to reduce emissions.

The group, which is now in its 17th year, includes more than 400 British dairy farmers who are paid on a cost of production+ model for the fresh milk they supply to Tesco.

According to the supermarket group it paid '£40m above market price over the 2023 calendar year,' to its TSDG farmers.

Managing director at Grosvenor Farms, Mark Roach, said it already has one of the lowest carbon footprints for milk production in the UK and he believes that commercial and environmental sustainability is 'mutually reinforcing.'

Morrisons is partnering with the Australian environmental technology company, Sea Forest, in a project that aims to reduce GHG emissions from beef cattle.

Sea Forest will work with Myton Food Group, Morrisons’ manufacturing arm, to supply the business with its seaweed-based, livestock methane abating feed, SeaFeed.

According to Sea Forest the compounds contained in this feed occur naturally in a native Australian seaweed and 'inhibit the bacteria that produce methane in the complex stomachs of cows, sheep and goats'.

Morrisons has outlined that the approval for the process 'is being worked through', but if successful customers should see lower carbon beef products – such as mince, burgers, steaks and joints – on the shelf in Morrisons by 2026.