Limu kohu, a red algae long-used in the islands as a staple condiment of the Native Hawaiian diet, may also be a valuable tool in fighting global warming.
Hawaiʻi Island Goat Dairy Farm owners Carl McKinney and Joann Hoffman have recently been adding a little limu kohu to their goats' diets.
"It’s probably less than a gram per goat that we add to the feed. When we mix up our corn, oats and barley," McKinney said.
"They eat about four pounds of grain a day each. They’re always hungry. I don’t think they even noticed," he laughed.
Limu kohu has long been a staple in the traditional Native Hawaiian diet, mostly as a condiment in poke or stews. But studies have shown that goats may also benefit from limu kohu.
"Asparagapsis taxiformis, which is the long scientific name of the seaweed we’re feeding the goats, has an active compound in it called bromoform," said Conor McCabe, a doctoral student at the University of California, Davis.
"And that bromoform prevents the formation of the enzyme that forms methane in the stomach of goats, sheep and cattle," McCabe said.
Over the course of two months, he’s analyzed data from the Ahualoa goat farm, which involves using a methane laser to measure emissions.
"We saw reductions of methane in excess of 70%. I think it's super exciting, of course, I think there's a couple of other pieces that we need to think about. How does it affect long-term methane emissions? Will it affect the end product, consumer taste, preference?" McCabe said.
Hawaiʻi Island Goat Dairy Farm recently debuted its first ever limu kohu-fed and low-emissions goat cheese at the Merriman’s Restaurant in Waimea.
"What you tasted today was our chevre. That’s the classic French style fresh goat cheese. Best served fresh. Slightly tangy," McKinney said.
Goat cheese is just the beginning, said Joan Salwen, the co-founder and CEO of Blue Ocean Barns.
The Kailua-Kona company is one of a handful of businesses in the world focused on growing limu kohu to reduce livestock emissions.
"There’s huge potential for limu kohu. It is needed in very small amounts in order to affect really dramatic reductions in methane gas," Salwen said.
"And so it can easily be grown here, and once it's dried it's actually very lightweight and easy to ship. It's shelf-stable and so it can be shipped to the mainland and distributed to farmers, ranchers, and feedlot operators anywhere."
