A woman with a silver perm cupped her hands like binoculars and peered into the window of the unopened store, her breath fogging the tinted glass. She jangled the locked doorknob. Undeterred, she sidled over to a side entrance near a row of empty freezers and let herself in.
“Do y'all have a takeout menu?” she hollered.
With a light chuckle, Donald “Don” Quincey dodged empty cardboard boxes and tables stacked high with displays of rustic jams, wax candles and Quincey Cattle Company merchandise to greet her.
Quincey, a third-generation rancher, runs a Chiefland, Florida-based cattle operation that specializes in sustainably raised beef. They started selling meat out of their 2,000-acre farm’s country store during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, they’re a few weeks from opening a second location that will serve drive-thru burgers and brisket along with their usual smorgasbord of locally sourced goods.
“When we got started, it just seemed like we couldn't quit,” Quincey said. “Nobody let it quit. They liked our product so good.”
After a loyal customer swallows the last juicy morsel of grass-fed ribeye, they might let out a satisfied belch. When a cow grazes, it does the same. These benign burps release methane, a greenhouse gas over 28 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
Over the last 150 years, human activities have caused a major spike in methane emissions, with 37% coming from the livestock industry and agriculture alone. The United States commands a 20% share of the international beef industry with a cattle population of nearly 87 million. Scientists are searching for solutions to curb that impact without the world going vegan.
Seaweed in cow feed could be an answer growing out of the blue.
The science behind seaweed
For millennia, coastal communities around the world have foraged seaweed for livestock feed. Herders in 100 B.C. Greece and 18th century Iceland would intentionally take their cows to graze on the beach to improve their health and productivity.
Now, the ancient practice is making a climate-driven resurgence.
“We need to be able to reduce that carbon footprint from agriculture, from the food system in general,” said Ermias Kebreab, associate dean of the University of California, Davis' College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. He also directs the World Food Center at UC Davis.
Kebreab’s lab is one year into a long-term research study testing the use of red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) as a feed additive. Past research has shown that a cow’s methane output can be reduced by over 80% with just a 0.2% dash of seaweed in their diet.
Red seaweed contains a high amount of bromoform, a compound that blocks an enzyme from turning hydrogen into methane in a ruminant’s gut.
Seaweed works whether cows are in pastures or feedlots. It can be added to feed as dried meal or an oil-based supplement. In blind taste tests, consumers couldn’t tell the difference between conventional and seaweed-fed dairy or beef products.
“Of all the additives,” Kebreab said. “Seaweed is the one that people accept the most.”
Seaweed transportation techniques have advanced over the years. But scaling the production of seaweed to feed millions of cows could send an expensive ripple through the supply chain, with shoppers footing the final bill.
Tipping the scale
Researchers at the University of Florida want to find out if climate-conscious consumers would be willing to pay more for low emission milk and beef.
According to recent studies, the answer is likely yes –– if they know why it’s worth it.
A recent infographic indicates that shoppers could be willing to pay about 4.6% more than usual for beef and up to 62% more for milk –– but these figures should be taken with a grain of sea salt.
“You see those stats like 4.6%, 62% –– that's an average. It's not across the board,” Andrew Ropicki said. “You need to find those consumers willing to pay that premium and market it to them in a way so that they understand what they're buying.”
Ropicki, a UF marine resource economics professor credited on the project, said that marketing and education will make all the difference when it comes to demand.
Younger shoppers who prioritize sustainability — such as Gen Z with higher incomes — are most willing to pay a premium for green products. A referenced study found this readiness to be driven by environmental concerns, along with hope for a lasting market of climate-friendly products perceived to be better quality.
Even if demand exists, developing localized supply chains and production strategies will be a challenge, Ropicki said.
Red seaweed, a species native to Australia, thrives in tropical or sub-tropical climates. Florida’s warm waters are prime for potential seaweed aquaculture, but building out these coastline operations will take time, investment and regulation.
Oversight is needed since improperly grown seaweed can absorb harmful levels of iodine or heavy metals. But growing seaweed for cow feed could pull excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous out of the water, preventing the growth of algal bloom.
Ropicki said this boon to the state’s natural beauty could be an additional market incentive that reaches across many demographics.
With enough demand, growing seaweed in Florida could become more efficient.
“Our study didn't look at the additional cost to production,” Ropicki said. “But whatever those costs are, we would expect that as it grew bigger, they would come down.”
Beef and milk aisle gone tidal
Quincey’s success is a sign that there’s demand for low-methane beef after all. Customers often come into his shop asking how the meat is raised and whether it “checks the boxes” of eco-friendliness.
Still, he said his brand occupies a narrow niche in the beef market –– but perhaps not for long.
According to an industry report by IBISWorld, preferences for beef are shifting. People who eat beef are now more aware of environmental and health-related concerns. There’s a strong uptick in people opting for sustainable alternatives that are perceived as healthier, such as grass-fed and organic beef. Others are eating less beef in general.
These shifts have spurred growth in the sustainable beef sector, as the average shopper’s desire for ethical farming puts on weight. Even then, the lean toward pork, poultry and plant-based meat alternatives threatens to reduce beef producer revenue by about $7 billion through 2030. “It gets back to what is the most beneficial for your marketing,” Quincey said. “In our particular case, the more boxes we can check, the more people we feel like we can reach.”
Sarah Babbitt single-handedly pushed a full cart through Gainesville’s Whole Foods Market, the other hand soothing a wailing infant wrapped close to her chest. Two young, blonde children darted around her hips. She said she always looks for higher quality meats when grocery shopping.
“I have three kids, and I want a good future for them,” Babbitt said. “I just feel like it's healthier, you know? Especially for myself and my husband, but when you're feeding small people, I think it's important that you’re happy with what you're putting in their bodies.”
When it comes to low emission beef and milk, Babbitt said she’d be willing to pay a couple dollars more if there was a “compelling case” behind a quality product.
But even among shoppers who care for their health and the environment, skepticism abounds.
“I don't feel any trust in the United States food industry,” said Anthony Lorenzo, a former “hardcore political junkie” who runs the Butterfly Habitat Restoration plant nursery in Largo, Florida.
He scoffed while recalling how his elderly mother, who he lives with, often falls for “greenwashing” tactics, like opting for a more expensive corn chip because it’s gluten-free. Still, he chooses his food products carefully.
“I only buy 100% grass-fed and organic beef products if I can find them,” Lorenzo said. “And if I can’t, then sometimes beef’s not on the menu.”
Price still plays a part in his food choices.
“I can't say I would want to spend $12 on a pound of ground beef instead of $10,” Lorenzo said, adding that the grass-fed beef he purchases is already “significantly priced higher.”
Instead of fancy marketing, Lorenzo said low emission milk and beef would be an attractive choice if it were reasonably priced and increased the trace mineral profile of his diet.
Dairy in the jaws of development
For these products to reach the shelves, producers need to be in the loop –– and not all farmers have clients barging through the doors like Quincey.
According to Ray Hodge, executive director of the United Dairy Farmers of Florida, the dairy industry in Florida has declined by about 80% in the last few decades. Many farmers, especially smaller ones, are selling out to developers for an attractive sum. If it’s ever going to break into the mainstream, seaweed additives need to keep farmers’ heads above water.
“Everybody uses the buzzword sustainability and that's great,” Hodge said. “But for any farmer to be environmentally sustainable, they need to be economically sustainable.”
Hodge said it will be tough for feed additives like seaweed to be widely adopted by dairy farmers without financial incentives from the government or a carbon credit trading program. Carbon credit markets that allow farmers to make more revenue from reducing emissions are currently being explored in Florida. Cash incentives could also come from dairy product manufacturers up the supply chain, since these corporations benefit from a climate-friendly image.
In the meantime, farmers are implementing other sustainable practices, like using methane digesters to convert cow droppings into natural gas fuel. Only about 5-10% of a cow’s methane is excreted, but it still adds up.
Hodge has been working with several of these facilities in Florida for about 10 years. In other states, the carbon footprint of hauling milk is offset by trucks being “powered by dairy.” Florida could be similarly eligible for these innovations if stakeholders see enough value in it to invest, Hodge said.
Quincey said he was surprised when he learned that most of the livestock industry’s carbon footprint came from feed. That is, feed being trucked in from faraway farms in the Midwest. All of his feed comes from local producers within 20 miles or is grown directly on his farm.
He uses byproducts from nearby peanut farms, breweries and even bread producers to feed his cows. Hodge said dairy farmers also recycle the “waste” from other industries as a sustainable feed source.
“They're very adaptive,” Hodge said. “They can mix things up and they can come up with formulas and alternate, move certain components in and out.”
This makes it more feasible for dairy farmers to incorporate a feed additive like seaweed, but it won’t relieve the cost burden. Quincey said the price of feed has risen for him by about 25% in recent years, which has led him to diversify his operation.
Alas, seaweed won’t cure the milk deficiency in Florida.
“Of all the issues that are concerning my dairy farmers,” Hodge said. “I just don't get them saying, ‘Hey, Ray, we really need some more feed additives.’”
Red tape over red seaweed
UC Davis research found feeding cows red seaweed doesn’t impact the trace heavy metal content of their meat, but milk is another case.
Seaweed often contains high amounts of iodine that may seep directly into milk. Excess iodine intake is a concern for the U.S. population, but not for the two billion people in the world who are iodine deficient.
Cows can also be picky about their food. Their comfort and nutrition directly correlate with the quality and amount of milk they produce.
“We like certain types of food, and they're the same way. And for them to produce quality milk, they expect a certain taste, a certain profile, and have some level of consistency,” Hodge said. “So, there's a lot of work that needs to be done before anything like that would ever get to the market.”
Scientists also have concerns over red seaweed’s magic ingredient: Bromoform, which is a trihalomethane.
Trihalomethanes are chemicals that form when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water, like when a dirty swimming pool is disinfected. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a 0.08 mg/L limit for trihalomethanes in drinking water, so any concentration above this in milk could be a food safety concern.
Heavy metals like iodine, bromine, arsenic and other compounds found in seaweed may be toxic to animals and humans at high levels. These risks stand in the way of this solution being industry regulated in the United States.
To pass regulations, Kebreab and his team are conducting research to understand seaweed’s long-term effects.
“The regulatory process takes a long time,” Kebreab said. “You have to have evidence that shows that there is no harm to humans, animals and the environment. That data is being collected right now.”
A planet-friendly pledge
Seaweed has already gained traction in foreign waters.
In Australia and Ireland, companies like Future Feed and Sea Forest are producing Asparagopsis taxiformis without heavy regulatory barriers. Australia’s first commercial harvest happened in 2022. The same goes for Canadian start-up Greener Grazing and other feed companies that have joined the burgeoning international seaweed farming industry.
This global investment is not only motivated by a need to reduce methane, but the premise that seaweed helps increase the muscle mass and milk production of cattle. In New Zealand, seaweed has been tested on sheep with similar success.
These countries are part of a 159-strong coalition, including the United States, that have signed the Global Methane Pledge. By 2030, the initiative aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels. This would ideally eliminate 0.2 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2050.
Red seaweed cultivation only takes 90 days. It can be grown through aquaculture in any suitable climate, which may be an invitation for Florida to join the wave of seaweed-growing states, such as Hawaii. Another sign is the $250K grant awarded by NOAA in late 2024 to the University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant to study seaweed aquaculture.
Researchers at UF like Ropicki are conducting additional consumer studies to determine how to best inform and connect with people. They plan to publish two more economic studies concerning seaweed-fed cows this year and another in 2026.
The market for sustainable products is evolving due to a new generation with purchasing power and glaring information about the climate crisis. But it’s not possible to accurately gauge demand for a product that is still hypothetical.
“It all depends on the customer’s acceptance,” Quincey said. “If it's a higher cost, are they willing to pay that? That's all it amounts to. I mean, we all got to feed our families.”
Quincey doesn’t currently use any feed additives or antibiotics on his herd. However, he isn’t opposed to using some feed additives like seaweed if it benefits the environment without costing his herd’s health or his business.
“If it's good for our customers and it's good for our animals,” Quincey said. “There's nothing off the table.”