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Abstract

This project aims to make UK sheep farming more environmentally sustainable by using genetics to reduce methane emissions. It involves measuring methane output, efficiency, and health traits in large numbers of sheep to identify animals that naturally produce less methane without compromising productivity. This data will be used to develop genetic tools and breeding values that farmers can apply in their flocks to lower whole-farm carbon footprints and support UK net-zero goals. The overall goal is to make sheep farming more sustainable by genetically reducing methane emissions while maintaining or improving efficiency and productivity. Visit the project website to keep up-to-date with the latest news and developments: https://www.breedforch4nge.co.uk/

Description

Our goal is to breed productive, efficient maternal sheep with a naturally low carbon footprint. Sheep produce methane, a natural by-product of their forage digestion process, which contributes to UK carbon emissions. Yet, sheep farming is critical to the UK's rural economy, sustainable food security, carbon sequestration and maintenance of landscapes.

This collaboration of sheep breeders, processor and retailer, academics and industry groups integrates data-driven and genomic technologies to breed efficient sheep with lower emissions, that will reduce the carbon footprint of lamb and disseminate technologies to the industry. Using innovative technology, we will measure methane, productivity, efficiency and health of sheep across a range of sheep breeds, production systems and environments. This data will be used to develop genetic tools and breeding values to enable farmers to select for productive, efficient, low methane sheep within their flocks, thus lowering farm carbon footprints and contributing to UK agriculture's component of Net Zero by 2050. The project will help develop a better understanding of phenotypic and genetic relationships between the measured traits and will also carry out bioeconomic modelling to demonstrate the long-term impacts of changing on farm practices, such as genetically selecting for lower-methane emitting sheep, on farm profitability and carbon footprint.