We have conducted multiple trials of our technology in the UK, Ireland, Argentina and the Netherlands, with both small and large groups of animals. We carry out these trials to continue improving the design and functionality of our device, to demonstrate the mitigation potential of our technology and the accuracy of our cattle tracking application, and to ensure our technology has no impact on the animal’s wellbeing, behaviour, or performance.
No. You will be enjoying the same beef and dairy products, but with a greatly reduced impact on our planet and a much smaller contribution to global warming.
We recommend the use of the wearable on cattle from 6-8 months onwards, or following weaning, from which time the animal is going to be able to reap the highest benefits of the device. The device is meant to be worn constantly and requires little to no maintenance once it is properly put on the animal. The harness is adjustable and can fit onto different head sizes in order to make every animal comfortable.
Thanks to our patented energy recovery system, devices work uninterruptedly for up to four years, without needing to be charged or changed.
The majority of components in each device are recyclable, and the units are collected by us at the end of their lifecycle to be properly refurbished. Specific recycling processes are in place for the responsible management of any of the materials which cannot be re-used.
Methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas. Over a 20-year period, it is 85 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide, it accounted for roughly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times, and is proliferating faster than ever since record keeping began in the 1980s.
Livestock methane emissions account for roughly 32 per cent of human-caused methane emissions. Population growth, economic development and urban migration have stimulated unprecedented demand for beef and dairy products, and with the global population approaching 10 billion, this demand is expected to increase by up to 70% by 2050.
About 95% of the methane is expelled through the mouth and nostrils of cattle, via exhalations and belching.
Contrary to common belief, only a small percentage of methane is produced in the cows’ large intestine and then expelled. Remember – it’s the burps, not the farts!
No, methane is about 85 times worse. Although carbon dioxide is the most famous greenhouse gas, methane traps a lot more heat in our atmosphere, warming our planet significantly more than carbon dioxide. Also, there is an important timeline consideration: Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. This means that even if emissions were immediately and dramatically reduced today, it would not have an effect on the climate until later in the century. But it takes only about a decade for methane to break down. Reducing methane emissions now would have an impact in the near term and is critical for helping keep the world on a path to 1.5°C.
This is a complex but very relevant question. While some solutions in this field come from feed additives, these supplements chemically inhibit methane production in the stomach of the animal and alter its digestive process. The most popular and commercially available additives have demonstrated 20-50% efficiency in trials, but feeding cattle specific additives is really only practical where it’s least needed: on feedlots. There, feed additives can be churned into the cows’ grain and soy feed. But on feedlots, cattle already belch less methane—only 11% of their lifetime output. That’s because most of their methane comes from their gut microbes breaking down the indigestible grass, leaves, and roughage they eat on the pastures beforehand, and not from feedlot corn and soy. This means that even if diets on feedlots worked perfectly, it wouldn’t help with the 89% of cows’ belches that occur earlier in their lives.
In recent studies, adding seaweed to cattle feed has shown promise in suppressing bovine methane. Some trials have achieved seemingly game-changing 80% reductions. Many of the claims about the technology’s promise are based on small-scale tests—to actually have a meaningful impact, there is still the question about how to feed algae to most of the world’s 1.5 billion cows. Unfortunately, adding the algae to diets on the pasture, where it’s most needed, isn’t a feasible option either. Out on grazing lands, it’s difficult to get cows to eat additives because they don’t like the taste of red algae unless it’s diluted into feed. And even if we did find ways to sneak algae in somehow, there’s a good chance their gut microbes would adapt and adjust, bringing their belches’ methane right back to high levels.
Additionally, Bromoform, the compound present in seaweed that reduces methane production, is volatile, potentially carcinogenic to animals and humans, and also known to negatively affect the ozone layer¹.
The ZELP technology has been developed with animal welfare at its core and independent studies conducted with leading academic institutions in the UK and Argentina have demonstrated that animals wearing the device show no change in their behaviour or cortisol levels, and no impact on their feeding, yields or rumination patterns – which are the most sensitive indicators of stress by the animal.
On the other hand, our technology’s data and methane sensing capabilities make us unique. Through this monitoring, we can help farmers identify diseases early and minimise the spread and onset of harmful conditions, and tap into a brand new layer of analyses in the fields of digestion, feed optimisation, and disease management. The ability of ZELP to monitor animals for health in addition to methane conversion places farmers and their animals at the forefront of the technology.
Our device is fine-tuned into the needs of every individual animal, ensuring through 24/7 monitoring they are maintained at the best of welfare standards. The device monitors subtle behavioural changes ensuring welfare conditions can be identified and prevented early. We know exactly how the animals are feeling through the data we collect allowing us to act quickly if anything changes.
The ZELP technology will be available for customers in 2023. Keep up to date with timings on its official launch by subscribing to our newsletter or sending an email directly to contact@zelp.co
ZELP offers a subscription-based model where the devices are leased to processors and farmers, who receive verified carbon reduction certificates that can be traded in the market or used for internal footprint-reduction accounting. The cost of subscription will be defined on a market basis at the time of deployment.
There is a global demand for climate-smart beef and dairy products. As soon as the ZELP technology is adopted by farmers, processors, and food companies, retailers will be able to offer climate-smart beef and dairy products. Stay tuned to learn more about our partners and the consumer brands that will bring you reduced-emissions and high quality products.
You will be able to purchase carbon credits if you are looking to compensate emissions for yourself or your organization. Please get in touch with us to get tailored support at contact@zelp.co.
ZELP LTD
102 St Pancras Way
London NW1 9ND, UK
contact@zelp.co
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovating programme under grant agreement No. 877091.