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Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review

Received: 28 September 2026     Accepted: 8 October 2026     Published: 23 October 2026
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Abstract

Methane is the main important greenhouse gas that emitted into the atmosphere by livestock during the process of enteric fermentation and manure management. Developing countries produce a large quantity of those emissions, caused mainly by inefficient animal rearing systems, feed production and manure management. Methane is emitted from livestock in developing countries and the mitigation actions that could be put in place to reduce atmospheric emissions and increase animal productivity. Developing countries are characterized by low Greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and their potential impact on global climate have become important concerns world-wide. The impact of methane in industrialized countries, the situation is the opposite of developing countries. Livestock production systems, such as dairy farms, provide in both sinks and sources for greenhouse gas. Methane is produced during the anaerobic fermentation of hydrolyzed dietary carbohydrates in the rumen and represents an energy loss to the host besides contributing to emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment. The methane mitigation strategies require robust prediction of emissions from rumen and Diets high in concentrates can result in a lower emission of methane. Also diets with a high content of starch, such as alfalfa-grass, have a methane-decreasing. It is profitable to reduce enteric methane formation since that form of methane is unavoidably lost. Methane emissions from manure, on the other hand, are possible to reduce during storage and manure-derived methane can also be collected and used as biogas fuel. It is earlier shown that it is possible by dietary means to compensate a reduced enteric methane production by a higher or maintained production of methane from manure. The Therefore, improved feeding systems in dairy farms and provision of knowledge about methane emission transfer to dairy farmers are some of control strategies which contributes in methane gas reduction.

Published in American Journal of Zoology (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12
Page(s) 41-50
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Fermentation, Global Warming, Methane, Ruminant, Developing Countries, Ethiopia

References
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Cite This Article
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    Mesfin, M., Abdulkadir, E. (2026). Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review. American Journal of Zoology, 9(2), 41-50. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12

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    ACS Style

    Mesfin, M.; Abdulkadir, E. Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review. Am. J. Zool. 2026, 9(2), 41-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12

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    AMA Style

    Mesfin M, Abdulkadir E. Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review. Am J Zool. 2026;9(2):41-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12,
      author = {Mebratu Mesfin and Ediris Abdulkadir},
      title = {Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review},
      journal = {American Journal of Zoology},
      volume = {9},
      number = {2},
      pages = {41-50},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajz.20260902.12},
      abstract = {Methane is the main important greenhouse gas that emitted into the atmosphere by livestock during the process of enteric fermentation and manure management. Developing countries produce a large quantity of those emissions, caused mainly by inefficient animal rearing systems, feed production and manure management. Methane is emitted from livestock in developing countries and the mitigation actions that could be put in place to reduce atmospheric emissions and increase animal productivity. Developing countries are characterized by low Greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and their potential impact on global climate have become important concerns world-wide. The impact of methane in industrialized countries, the situation is the opposite of developing countries. Livestock production systems, such as dairy farms, provide in both sinks and sources for greenhouse gas. Methane is produced during the anaerobic fermentation of hydrolyzed dietary carbohydrates in the rumen and represents an energy loss to the host besides contributing to emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment. The methane mitigation strategies require robust prediction of emissions from rumen and Diets high in concentrates can result in a lower emission of methane. Also diets with a high content of starch, such as alfalfa-grass, have a methane-decreasing. It is profitable to reduce enteric methane formation since that form of methane is unavoidably lost. Methane emissions from manure, on the other hand, are possible to reduce during storage and manure-derived methane can also be collected and used as biogas fuel. It is earlier shown that it is possible by dietary means to compensate a reduced enteric methane production by a higher or maintained production of methane from manure. The Therefore, improved feeding systems in dairy farms and provision of knowledge about methane emission transfer to dairy farmers are some of control strategies which contributes in methane gas reduction.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Methane Emissions from Dairy Production Systems: Sources, Drivers, Environmental Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies: A Review
    AU  - Mebratu Mesfin
    AU  - Ediris Abdulkadir
    Y1  - 2026/10/23
    PY  - 2026
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12
    T2  - American Journal of Zoology
    JF  - American Journal of Zoology
    JO  - American Journal of Zoology
    SP  - 41
    EP  - 50
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2994-7413
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20260902.12
    AB  - Methane is the main important greenhouse gas that emitted into the atmosphere by livestock during the process of enteric fermentation and manure management. Developing countries produce a large quantity of those emissions, caused mainly by inefficient animal rearing systems, feed production and manure management. Methane is emitted from livestock in developing countries and the mitigation actions that could be put in place to reduce atmospheric emissions and increase animal productivity. Developing countries are characterized by low Greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and their potential impact on global climate have become important concerns world-wide. The impact of methane in industrialized countries, the situation is the opposite of developing countries. Livestock production systems, such as dairy farms, provide in both sinks and sources for greenhouse gas. Methane is produced during the anaerobic fermentation of hydrolyzed dietary carbohydrates in the rumen and represents an energy loss to the host besides contributing to emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment. The methane mitigation strategies require robust prediction of emissions from rumen and Diets high in concentrates can result in a lower emission of methane. Also diets with a high content of starch, such as alfalfa-grass, have a methane-decreasing. It is profitable to reduce enteric methane formation since that form of methane is unavoidably lost. Methane emissions from manure, on the other hand, are possible to reduce during storage and manure-derived methane can also be collected and used as biogas fuel. It is earlier shown that it is possible by dietary means to compensate a reduced enteric methane production by a higher or maintained production of methane from manure. The Therefore, improved feeding systems in dairy farms and provision of knowledge about methane emission transfer to dairy farmers are some of control strategies which contributes in methane gas reduction.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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