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We talk a lot about CO2, but the methane emitted by cows is also a powerful greenhouse gas. On Tuesday, nearly 80 countries pledged to reduce their methane emissions by 2030. In France, thousands of dairy farms are starting to change the diet of their animals.
In Fleurbaix, in Pas-de-Calais, Babette and Jean-Marc Burette, sixth generation of farmers, continue to breed dairy cows. But for 6 years, the couple has led a revolution to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Cows emit a lot of methane, which is harmful to the ozone layer. The farmer has rethought the diet of his animals, to replace rapeseed, produced in South America.
The farmer uses the manure of his cows, a practice often forgotten in favor of chemical fertilizers which generate a lot of CO2. Hectares of crops were also sacrificed to make way for the meadow, “which stores a lot of carbon”, explains Jean-Marc Burette. Savings for the wallet and for the planet: in six years, the farm has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 17% of GHGs, i.e. 410 tonnes of carbon less, the equivalent of 800 flights between Paris and New- York.