FutureFeed provided this response to Australian Rural & Regional News, 3 November 2021

As the only IP holder globally for Asparagopsis, Australian innovation start-up, FutureFeed, is the founding authority on the natural seaweed that helps fight climate change and produce more food with fewer resources.

Built from strong scientific foundations based on proven results, FutureFeed exists to support the growing use of Asparagopsis as a natural ingredient for livestock to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

The red meat and livestock industry has halved its total emissions since 2005 and current currently contributes 10% of Australia’s GHG emissions – the reduction in GHG emissions is larger than any other industry in Australia. The Australian red meat industry has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 which will put it ahead of most other industries in Australia and around the world and FutureFeed is proud to be part of the pathway with a solution that is proven to drastically lower methane emissions from livestock.

At just half a percent inclusion rates there are methane reductions of over 80% and it’s from a natural and simple ingredient that’s backed by rigorous science.

FutureFeed is 12 months into the commercialisation process and the team at FutureFeed has been busy building the foundations needed to make a new industry succeed. Working with our licensees and potential licensees we have a focus on research and development, certification and standards and marketing.

On the research and development front – The technology has been launched for the Australian feedlot market and we now look to our licensees for what we anticipate to be significantly increasing supply. We’re investing in further animal science that focuses on safety and efficacy of the solution — particularly around technology improvements for our licensees, feedlot studies at larger scale and grazing systems. We have a number of trials set to commence before the end of 2021 in beef, dairy and lamb.

We anticipate supply becoming available for early adopters late 2021/ early 2022 with significant scaling to follow. The market will determine the price.

We also have a big focus on calculation and certification – FutureFeed’s unique methodology for calculating methane reductions when adding Asparagopsis as a daily supplement will be supported through our certification program and we anticipate it will be able to be used in the voluntary carbon market in the near future. Our certification program and the digital platform that underpins it will not only provide quantification of methane abatement but give consumers trust and confidence in the new industry and the products they’re buying.

FutureFeed is a tool for the red meat industry to have a place in the low-emissions world. We see a future where Asparagopsis is a standard inclusion in the diets of all ruminant animals. This will be achieved through licensed seaweed growers all around who will make this vision a reality and be underpinned by our certification program to ensure consistency, rigour and accurate accounting of methane reductions.

The Australian Seaweed Institute sets a target of 4,500 tons of Asparagopsis per annum by 2025. This equates to 250,000 head of beef feedlot cattle which means at any one time, 25% of cattle in our beef feedlots would be eating Asparagopsis. This would remove ~270,000 tons CO2 equivalent / annum. The report identifies the seaweed industry has the potential to be $1.5 billion industry, creating 9,000 jobs and 10% emissions reductions per year.