Billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos have plunged millions into a controversial initiative to develop a “climate vaccine” for livestock, with the aim of blocking methane emissions from cattle in an effort to fight climate change.
This is another example of the wealthy elite trying to control the food supply and impose a radical environmental agenda on farmers and ranchers.
ArkeaBio, a Boston-based biotech company, recently raised $26.5 million in venture capital funding to develop a methane-reducing cattle vaccine.
Leading the charge is Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a climate-focused fund founded by Gates, Axios reports.
Other contributors to the funding round include environmental organizations like the Grantham Foundation and AgriZeroNZ, marking a concerted push by left institutions to intervene in agriculture.
Chris Rivest, chairman of ArkeaBio’s board, called the initiative a “game-changer” in cutting emissions, calling it a natural extension of the existing cattle vaccination program, according to Climate Solutions.
Not to be outdone, Jeff Bezos’ Earth Fund has invested $9.4 million into a similar initiative, collaborating with researchers from the Royal Veterinary College and the Pirbright Institute.
The purpose? To reduce methane emissions by more than 30% using cutting-edge biotechnology, including genetically modified bacteria and advanced antibody research.
“This groundbreaking research explores whether a moonshot to reduce livestock methane emissions is possible,” said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund.
“Vaccines have proven to be incredibly effective in global health, and if we can apply this approach to cattle, the potential to reduce emissions is enormous. The Bezos Earth Fund is committed to high-risk, high-reward projects like this, which have the power to transform efforts fight climate change.
Read the press release:
Livestock is a major source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas with a significant impact on climate change.
The Bezos Earth Fund, along with the Global Methane Hub, has a portfolio of grants that seek to reduce these emissions through low-methane genetics, better forage, and better ranch management practices. All of these approaches can play a role in specific geographies and ranch types.
However, vaccines offer a scalable and cost-effective universal solution, integrating seamlessly into existing agricultural management systems.
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The project consists of two main components, each addressing different aspects of the challenge:
- Early development of the immune response: Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College, in collaboration with the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientÃficas (CSIC), will study how and when methane-producing microbes (methanogens) colonize the digestive tract of calves and how the immune system responds. Advanced techniques such as multi-omics, histology, and immunology will be used to gain insight into these early interactions. They will also develop methanogens with fluorescent markers to track microbial interactions.
- Antibody Response and Vaccine Development: Scientists from the Pirbright Institute and AgResearch will identify and characterize the specific antibodies needed to effectively target methanogens. This involves isolating antibodies from immunized cows and testing their effectiveness under laboratory conditions. By driving cross-reactive antibody responses and generating antibody panels, researchers aim to create a proof of concept for a methane vaccine.
The project aims to overcome significant scientific hurdles, providing the foundation for a global methane vaccine initiative. If successful, this could revolutionize the way methane emissions are managed in agriculture, providing a viable solution to one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases.
This is part of a wider trend of elites using climate change as a pretext to reshape global food production.
In 2021, Gates made headlines for being the largest private landowner in the United States, raising concerns about the consolidation of agricultural power.
Now, with Gates and Bezos funding livestock vaccine research, those fears are growing.
