Cow manure could save the planet.
Cow manure could help the environment
Cattle are seen as detrimental in the fight against climate change as methane from their burps and farts makes up 14.5 per cent of Earth's greenhouse gas emissions but new research shows that their faeces are essential for the world's survival.
Research conducted by the Soil Association Exchange shows that farms with a mixture of arable crops and livestock have three times as much carbon in their soil than those that don't have animals - all because of manure.
Carbon benefits soil as it improves the structure, increases water retention and provides nutrients in order for plants to grow better.
Joseph Gridley, of the Soil Association Exchange, said: "If you integrate livestock into the system, on every metric on soil health, there's an improvement and on a lot of the biodiversity measures as well."
He did concede that the amount of carbon in the soil was unlikely to make up for the levels of methane produced by cows.