There are many theories and discussions surrounding the release of methane gas by ruminants such as cattle, but it is important to make sure that they are based on facts, says Prof. Kennedy Dzama, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University. (Prof. Dzama will take over from Prof. Danie Brink as Dean in January 2026.)
By Alani Janeke, Senior Journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
“One-sentence slogan-type (proposed) solutions to complex problems don’t work! It’s not going to help to say cattle release methane gas so we should stop producing cattle and beef, because cattle are part of the ecosystem,” says Prof. Kennedy Dzama, the Vice-Dean of the faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University (SU).
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Dzama said because there are so many elements involved in something as complex as climate change, the answer cannot be as simple as telling humanity to stop eating meat. The fact that rainforests in the Amazon and Africa are being cut down so that other industries can use that land or so that more grains can be planted on that land also contributes to the problem. So does the release of carbon dioxide from human activities or power stations, and so on.
“We have to look at all the different factors involved and find a balance between everything.”
