Australians told to eat more roo

Australian scientists believe expanding the kangaroo industry would significantly cut greenhouse gases.

They say reducing sheep and cattle populations, and increasing kangaroo numbers from the current 34 million to 175 million, would lower greenhouse gas emissions by 3% of Australia’s total emissions.

Kangaroos emit a third as much methane as ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, which are responsible for 60% of global methane emissions. Like carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouse gas.

In the past decade, the proportion of Australians eating kangaroo meat has risen from 51% to 59%. But Australians don’t eat kangaroo often – around 15% of people ‘regularly’ eat kangaroo meat, which means four or more times a year.

Source: The University of New South Wales