§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the use of bovine somatotropin is expected to reduce the quantity of bovine flatulence, a known contributor to global warming.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)Yes. The methane produced by farmed cattle has been identified as a significant contributor to global warming.
If, as would be likely, the use of BST were to result in a reduction in the overall size of the global cattle herd rather than an increase in milk production, it could be expected that the amount of methane produced would fall.