Resonant Technology Group (Resonant) has made a groundbreaking announcement regarding the effectiveness of their product, SOP® Lagoon, in significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the beef and dairy industries. In collaboration with the University of Milan and UC Davis, a research paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Sustainability reports an astounding 80% reduction in methane (CH4) and 75% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from dairy lagoons within weeks of the first applying SOP® Lagoon.
A comprehensive 3.5-month study conducted at a commercial 520-head dairy farm in Northern Italy found an 80% reduction in effluent methane release, surpassing any other available solutions. According to the study, SOP® Lagoon is the only additive capable of effectively mitigating dairy waste lagoon emissions, which account for up to 57% of total dairy methane emissions. The results affirm previous findings by researchers from the University of Milan and UC Davis, demonstrating SOP® Lagoon as a practical and substantial solution to reduce the carbon footprint of the dairy and cattle industries.
SOP® Lagoon is a product of the Italian firm Save Our Planet (SOP), marketed by Resonant. The product incorporates proprietary, trade-secret protected science that has been utilized in thousands of farms across Europe and North America for the last 20 years. The SOP® Lagoon, a 2g mineral additive per head, is deployed weekly into the lagoon and can be used alongside a suite of other products to reduce enteric and soil emissions further. No particular expertise is required for the product application.
Five scientific studies, including one from UC Davis, have supported the efficacy of Resonant’s SOP® Inside products. They demonstrate a potential reduction in GHG emissions from dairy operations by more than 50%, surpassing any known solutions without any reported side effects.
The University of Milan study concludes that the use of SOP® Lagoon on a 250-head dairy farm could reduce more than 1,000 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per year at a cost of less than $2,000. Looking at the bigger picture, if the product was adopted by 1 million cows (about 10% of the North American dairy herd), it could decrease methane emissions by more than 4 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
Currently, solutions targeting GHG emissions in the dairy and cattle industries primarily focus on enteric and manure emissions, which account for roughly 40% of total emissions. However, few cost-effective solutions address emissions from dairy barn effluents and manure, accounting for up to 60% of methane emissions. As Carbon Credit markets mature, SOP® Lagoon could become a leading product in the sector with its proven field test results and ability to contract long-term.
According to the 8 Billion Trees Carbon Credit Pricing Matrix, the potential value of methane-based voluntary carbon credits could be between $4,000 to over $20,000 per year for a 250-head herd, providing 2-10x the cost of SOP® Lagoon.
Interestingly, SOP® Lagoon has also demonstrated a substantial reduction of up to 100% in ammonia (NH3) emissions. Ammonia is a gas that harms animal well-being, productivity, and human health. Additionally, the product has been observed to dramatically reduce or eliminate noxious odors from dairy operations within weeks of application. One example of its successful implementation is the Tillamook County Creamery Association, which has reported successful odor mitigation.
Methane, around 85 times more potent than CO2, accounts for about half of the net rise in global average temperatures since the pre-industrial era. In 2021, the US and EU unveiled the Global Methane Pledge seeking a 30% reduction in human-caused methane releases by 2030. Dairy cows contribute to 8% of global methane pollution, with around 80% of the total carbon footprint of a gallon of milk originating at the farm level.
With Resonant’s SOP® Lagoon product demonstrating significant and scalable reductions in GHG emissions, the dairy industry could align more closely with sustainability goals, including ESG and UN SDGs. This breakthrough product offers an immediate, actionable, and economically feasible solution to improve the dairy industry’s carbon footprint.
Photo by Tobias Schmücker on Unsplash
