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Standardisation of greenhouse gas (GHG) data is urgently needed if the ruminant livestock industry is to reach net zero.

Data on GHGs is not currently being captured on the majority of farms in the UK and Ireland, according to a new whitepaper Â’achieving net zero targets in the ruminant livestock industryÂ’ in the UK and Ireland, published by EIT Food in collaboration with Innovate UK KTN, with an urgent need for an internationally agreed and standardised measurement system to monitor GHGs to establish baselines and enable benchmarking.

Other recommendations included the need of introducing policies which reward farmers to support the transition to net zero, with the involvement of farmers ‘essential’ to support engagement and confidence in solutions.

It called for more Â’demonstratorÂ’ farms to enable research, knowledge transfer and training around new technologies to accelerate the transition.

The report highlighted suggested promoting land management strategies, including transitioning to agroecological or regenerative agriculture practices as well as improving understanding of the complexity of carbon sequestration to ensure a holistic response. Ìý

The report also suggested optimising the age of ruminant livestock slaughter to cut methane emissions, raising concerns about the future for slower growing breeds.

Rare Breed Survival Trust chief executive Christopher Price said: “These proposals are concerning and read more like an attempt to preserve intensive industrial livestock farming rather than seriously address the challenge of livestock emissions.”

He said society would ‘inevitably’ be moving towards eating ‘less but better meat’.

“Government needs to be helping both farmers and consumers on this transition,” he said.

“For many livestock farmers, the future will be in keeping smaller numbers of animals of low input high value systems, backed up by effective market emphasising provenance.

“Some breeds can be satisfactorily finished in 24 months, but by no means all. ÌýMany breeds, particularly our native breeds, take much longer to finish and are less productive, in the sense of demanding a lower price, if culled prematurely.”

He added there were also welfare concerns.

“The evidence is clear that animals with high growth rates can suffer from serious health problems, including lameness and reproductive disorders.

“Also, to achieve faster growth rates, cows need to spend more time eating and so have less time available to meet their needs for other important things, such as resting and sleeping.”