Project is funded by Defra's Farming Innovation Programme delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, through the Farming Futures R&D Fund: Low Emission Farming Competition

A UK consortium led by McArthur BDC, aims to support a reduction in dairy sector emission in excess of 1.5 Mt CO2e annually, with a value approaching £400m, by cutting methane emissions and replacing soya bean meal with innovative homegrown faba bean-based feed ingredients.

The Consortium will bring together crop science, ruminant research experiments and on farm trials, underpinned by an environmental life cycle assessment and economic analysis.

"Methane from dairy cows is a major contributor to agricultural emissions. The InFaba Project will explore whether naturally occurring tannins in UK-grown faba beans could offer a home-grown route to lowering emissions in dairy herds," said project director, John McArthur, and managing director of McArthur BDC.

Consortium members alongside McArthur BDC are Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO), Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Muller UK & Ireland and Farm Carbon Toolkit. Collectively, they have secured £1.9M from Defra's funded Farming Innovation Programme delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, through the Farming Futures R&D Fund: Low Emission Farming Competition. The three-year programme will develop and test two novel faba-based feed ingredients designed to reduce methane output while reducing the UK's dependence on imported soya bean meal:

1. A tannin-rich faba bean co-product from the feed sector will be assessed for its ability to influence rumen fermentation and reduce methane production.
2. A heat-treated faba bean, processed to deliver more digestible protein and replace a significant proportion of imported soya bean meal in dairy diets.

Together, these innovations aim to kickstart a homegrown, low emission protein industry serving the feed industry and in time the food industry too. Increased inclusion of pulses in arable rotations will not only reduce emissions but will also boost soil health, improve water quality and support biodiversity, at the same time as increasing the UK's food security by reducing our dependence on imported soya bean meal.

"We have ambitious targets for scope 3 emissions reduction and opportunities like this could be a big step in the right direction," said Phil Scott, Retail Group Manager, Muller UK & Ireland. "Working with our farms gives us a direct route to test and scale this innovation, based on a 100% natural plant-based product, with the potential to cut emissions without compromising milk quality."

Methane accounts for 58%* of British agriculture's greenhouse gases emissions and 45%** of dairy industry emissions. Exploratory work, conducted by SRUC, showed that the naturally occurring tannins in a faba bean co-product may alter the fermentation process and reduce methane formation, but little research exists in this area.

"Our role within InFaba will be to combine lab studies with on-farm trials to measure reductions in methane output and improvements in how efficiently cows convert feed into milk," said dairy nutrition scientist, Professor John Newbold from SRUC.

UK dairy farming also consumes 15%*** of the UK's imported soya bean meal; its excellent nutritive properties are offset by a high embedded carbon footprint and links to deforestation and land-use change in South America.

"InFaba combines scientific depth with commercial practicality. The dairy sector needs solutions that work in the real world and deliver impact fast. Cutting methane, protecting and enhancing ecosystems and developing our homegrown protein industry are essential to the future of British agriculture. This project is designed to accelerate that transition," concluded John McArthur.

*Defra - Agri-climate report 2024

**Defra – The Dairy Roadmap Climate Ambition: Supporting UK Net-Zero

***AIC - FAQs: Feeding livestock with soya – why is it important and how sustainable is it?

About the Funding Competition: Farming Futures R&D Fund: low emissions farming

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has allocated up to £12.5 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.

This funding is part of Defra Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Defra and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will work in collaboration to deliver a portfolio of projects that meet the objectives of the Farming Innovation Programme.

The aim of this competition is to fund collaborative projects that will develop new solutions to support UK farming working towards achieving low emissions. These must address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.

Read Defra's announcement:From precision-bred hemp to Sunshine Tomatoes: £21.5m to drive farm innovation in England

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK's innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.