Symbrosia partners with Neutral Foods and Carman Ranch to reduce methane emissions in grazing cattle

The companies share the common goal of producing sustainable food for the benefit of animals, people, land, and planet

 Symbrosia, a Hawai’i-based startup whose seaweed feed additive, SeaGraze™, reduces livestock methane emissions by over 80%, is excited to announce a partnership with women-led livestock producer Carman Ranch, a leader in regenerative agriculture, and America’s first carbon neutral foods company, Neutral Foods. The three companies will collaborate to integrate Symbrosia’s natural, methane-reducing seaweed feed additive into the diet of Carman Ranch. The initial pilot is set to begin later this year with plans to scale following a successful trial. 

Grazing cattle rotated across pastures sequester carbon and improve soil health. However, cattle emit more methane when digesting grass than other diets, meaning that enteric methane emissions make up a large portion of these animals’ carbon footprint. Reducing enteric methane emissions from grazing beef cattle is an opportunity to drastically reduce the carbon intensity of beef production. Together, the companies plan to produce sustainable animal products, give consumers a healthy, environmentally-friendly choice, and show the world how livestock can be a force for good. 

“SeaGraze™ alongside regenerative grazing practices will help produce some of the most sustainable beef on the planet,” explained Alexia Akbay, CEO of Symbrosia, “This is not an oxymoron, or an attempt to greenwash. It’s the direct result of collaboration between a passionate group of individuals that care deeply about agriculture and the future of our species.”

For the initial pilot, Carman Ranch, Neutral, and Symbrosia will collaborate to integrate Symbrosia’s natural, methane-reducing seaweed feed additive into the diet of 50 Carman Ranch cattle. Neutral and Symbrosia will bring leading researchers, partners, equipment, and procedures to measure methane emissions and conduct a full life cycle analysis, and generate verified carbon credits.

“Neutral’s mission is to sell carbon neutral versions of staples found in most US households and scale climate smart practices,” said Ann Radil, head of carbon reduction, Neutral. “The Neutral, Carman Ranch and Symbrosia partnership is about more than reducing one product’s carbon footprint, it’s about demonstrating that a new climate-smart food system is possible.”

Symbrosia closed its $7 million Series A funding round in June with leading investor Danone Manifesto Ventures, while Neutral announced the closing of its $12 million funding round last week, led by Bill Gates founded investment fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The companies have also submitted for a panel at SXSW. Pending enough votes from the public, Symbrosia CEO Alexia Akbay, Carman Ranch owner Cory Carman, and Neutral’s Head of Carbon Reduction Ann Radil will discuss the possibility and benefits of carbon neutral beef at the Texas conference in 2023. Public voting for the panels closed in August, and winners will be announced later this year. 

About Symbrosia 

A recipient of the Blue Climate Initiative’s 2022 Ocean Innovation Prize, Symbrosia breeds and cultivates fast-growing seaweed strains and develops them into high-value products. Symbrosia has developed SeaGrazeTM, a natural seaweed feed additive that drastically reduces livestock methane emissions. Called “the seaweed that could save the planet” by The Verge, Forbes, and Inc Magazine, SeaGrazeTM is setting a new standard for sustainability in the US beef, dairy, and apparel industries. Symbrosia is scaling SeaGrazeTM production rapidly and partnering with researchers, ranchers, distributors, and brands to build supply chains that reward producers for producing low-methane animal products.

To learn more about Symbrosia, please visit https://symbrosia.co/.

About Neutral Foods
Neutral Foods, the first carbon neutral food company in the United States, backed by Bill Gates founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, offers carbon neutral dairy products nationwide. It’s on a mission to radically reduce the nearly 37 percent of global emissions the agriculture industry produces. Started in 2019 in Portland, Oregon, Neutral is a national brand that works directly with farmers to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy products - for good. Neutral has organic and conventional carbon neutral dairy solutions for retail, food service, and ingredient needs and intends to broaden its impact with other agricultural foods. Additional Neutral investors are Mark Cuban and David Adelman’s Darco Capital, which led a celebrity round of investors, including LeBron James, John Legend, and Questlove. Japanese firm Global Brain, its CVC partners Kirin Holdings Company, Limited and Norinchukin Bank, and Craig Shapiro of the New York-based Collaborative Fund have also invested in Neutral and its vision of a more sustainable food system.

About Carman Ranch
Spurred by a vision to sustain her family’s century-old ranch nestled in the foothills of Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains, Cory Carman has grown Carman Ranch to include a small group of top-tier producers in the Pacific Northwest. The multigenerational family ranchers grow nutrient dense food that is deeply flavorful and nutritious, and reflects their commitment to respect their animals, steward the land, and leave everything a little bit better for the next generation. The ranch is focused on building soil and sequestering carbon while producing exceptional grass-fed and grass-finished beef. Carman Beef is now sold in restaurants from Sacramento to Seattle, and by the New Seasons grocery chain.