Burger King announced it will be changing its cows’ diets to help combat climate change.
The burger chain is adding 100 grams of lemongrass to the cows’ diets, which will cause them to release about a third less methane, a greenhouse gas, into the environment.
On Tuesday, Burger King introduced its Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper sandwich, with beef sourced from the cattle receiving the modified diet in select restaurants in Miami, New York, Austin, Portland, and Los Angeles, while supplies last, according to the Associated Press.
“This initiative is part of our Restaurant Brands for Good framework. At Burger King, we believe that delicious, affordable, and convenient meals can also be sustainable,” Global Chief Marketing Officer, Fernando Machado, said in a press release. “If the whole industry, from farmers, meat suppliers, and other brands join us, we can increase scale and collectively help reduce methane emissions that affect climate change.”
Livestock is responsible for about 14.5% of global greenhouse emissions, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Cows emit an enormous amount of methane through belching, a greenhouse gas that traps the sun’s heat and warms the planet.
