Baldwin Supports Call for FDA to Reduce Methane Emissions

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin led a bipartisan group of colleagues in calling for the Food and Drug Administration to review the role that animal feed additives play in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. In a letter to the agency, the lawmakers noted that the FDA has not yet approved any feed additives to achieve the goal of cutting emmissions half within the next seven years, or reaching net zero by 2050. That's despite the potential for these products to provide farmers with additional tools to reduce a large share of their operations' GHG footprint and create a level playing field with their European and Brazilian competitors.

"It's crucial that our farmers here in Wisconsin and across the nation have the resources they need to achieve their climate goals, all while they work keep our nation fed," said Senator Baldwin. "The FDA must work to review the role that animal feed additives play in lowering enteric emissions so that farmers have more resources at their disposal to achieve their proposed GHG reductions and compete on a global scale with producers who already have access to feed additives."

The memo said that both the dairy and cattle industries have committed to reducing the climate impact of their farming operations over the next 20-30 years.

"To meet their commitments, farmers are subscribing to conventional climate and land management programs offered by the United States Department of Agriculture," the letter stated. "However, these programs do not address the nearly one third of operations' emissions resulting from enteric methane. Enteric methane emissions are currently being addressed by our agricultural competitors in the European Union and Brazil through feed additives, but farmers in the U.S. do not have this option."

Though both the animal drug and the Food Additive Petition processes must demonstrate product efficacy and safety in human and animal reviews, the FAP route can be completed in 2-3 years, where the drug route can be completed in 8-10 years, according to the senators.

The letter was co-led by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and also signed by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).