The Fieldays Innovation Awards are an annual highlight, offering a chance to see what’s coming next in agri-tech and to celebrate the people turning bold ideas into real-world products. Blender is proud to support the Prototype category, recognising early-stage innovations with the potential to create meaningful change.
This year, one product stood out. Ruminant Biotech’s bolus is a slow-release, biodegradable, capsule-like product designed to dramatically reduce methane in pasture-raised cattle, something no other technology has managed to do effectively.
Over a period of months, the bolus slowly delivers a synthesised version of the active ingredient in Asparagopis, a red seaweed known to suppress the microbes in a cow’s stomach that produce methane. Each capsule includes an RFID chip, so farmers and carbon credit issuers can scan an animal and verify the treatment.
As part of the award, Ruminant Biotech’s team have the opportunity to work with Blender on a hands-on design sprint to help refine the product and prepare it for scale. That collaboration couldn’t come at a better time.
“We’re at an amazing point in our journey,” says Ian South, Business Development at Ruminant Biotech. “We’ve proven our minimum viable product, and now we’re quickly pushing towards commercialisation. Pulling Blender in to help shape what comes next is a really exciting step for us.”
Time to clear the air.
When it comes to climate change, methane is one of the biggest levers we can pull, especially in agriculture. While carbon dioxide sticks around for centuries, methane breaks down in just over a decade, which means reducing it can cool the planet much faster. A 40 percent global drop in methane emissions could deliver up to 0.4 degrees of cooling over the next 15 to 20 years.
That’s a huge opportunity, and enteric methane – the kind produced during digestion by cows and other ruminants – makes up about six percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. That’s roughly the same as every passenger vehicle on the planet, and several times more than the aviation industry.
The tricky part is that around 80 percent of the world’s cattle are raised on pasture. Most methane-reducing tools developed so far rely on feedlot systems, where additives can be mixed into daily rations. But that doesn’t work for grazing animals, especially in countries like New Zealand, which is exactly the gap Ruminant Biotech is aiming to close.
Slowly does it.
The idea behind the product is simple: a small, slow-release bolus that sits in the cow’s stomach and gets to work reducing methane from the inside. It stays in place for up to six months, then breaks down naturally, doing its job quietly, with no change to the cow’s diet or routine.
The seaweed compound Asparagopsis has been studied for years and has shown strong results in controlled feedlot environments, where cattle are fed precise rations every day. But that approach doesn’t translate well to pasture-based systems. The challenge has always been how to deliver the compound to grazing animals in a way that’s practical, safe, and effective.
That’s where the bolus comes in. Long-used by farmers for things like mineral supplements, a bolus is typically administered with an applicator and swallowed whole by the animal. Ruminant Biotech’s version looks similar, but inside it’s completely new.
Each capsule contains a stabilised, synthesised version of the seaweed compound, a custom biodegradable casing that controls the release over time, and a small metal weight that keeps it sitting at the bottom of the cow’s first stomach, the rumen. It also includes an RFID chip, which means the animal can be scanned at any time to verify treatment.
At the end of its life, the casing breaks down inside the animal and is passed naturally. The small stainless-steel densifier remains in the rumen and is retrieved later at processing. It doesn’t interfere with the animal’s health or the quality of the meat in any way.
In animal trials, the results have been remarkable: a consistent 70 to 75 percent drop in methane emissions over the bolus lifespan.
Funding the future.
Ruminant Biotech’s bolus isn’t something you’ll see on the shelf at a rural supply store. Instead, the team is building a model that brings the product directly into existing supply chains, with retailers, food brands, and processors involved.
“We’re not claiming productivity increases on our first generation technology,” says Ian. “The core value of this product is in the methane mitigation. And of course, if it doesn’t deliver a return to the farmer, it’s not going to be used on farm.”
Measuring what matters.
Behind the scenes, Ruminant Biotech is putting just as much energy into measuring results as they are into reducing emissions. Every animal trial includes a dedicated stream of data collection, making sure the impact is real, reliable and stands up to international scrutiny.
The goal is to ensure that every methane saving can be traced and trusted. That’s essential when companies and governments alike are relying on this data to inform climate reporting and carbon reduction targets. By aligning their approach with global standards, the team is making sure each methane reduction can be traced, verified and counted. That means the bolus isn’t just a good idea in theory, but a tool that fits into the bigger picture of climate action.
Smart partnerships.
There’s growing global pressure on the food industry to cut emissions, and methane is right at the centre of the conversation. Many of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies have committed to slashing their supply chain emissions, and some are already investing in solutions to make it happen. Banks are also getting involved, offering green loan discounts to farms that adopt low-carbon practices.
That’s part of what makes Ruminant Biotech’s timing so compelling. Countries like New Zealand are under pressure to meet strict climate targets, and enteric methane is one of the hardest areas to tackle. A solution that works for pasture-based cattle, and is already showing strong results in trials, has the potential to play a big role.
As part of their Fieldays win, the Ruminant team will also be connecting with Blender to explore how design could support the next stage of their journey. Whether it’s product refinement, packaging, or tools to support farmer adoption, there’s plenty of opportunity to shape how the bolus makes its way into the real world.
From our perspective, it’s an exciting chance to help turn an impressive prototype into something practical, scalable and capable of delivering real impact.
Looking ahead.
With regulatory approval anticipated later this year, Ruminant Biotech is getting ready to move from trials to the real world. The first supply chain pilots are already in motion, with plans to scale the bolus across thousands of animals in the near future.
It’s still early days, but the long-term vision is clear: a future where every steak or burger carries a smaller climate footprint, and farmers are part of the solution. If New Zealand leads the way, that future could arrive faster than we think.
Got an idea of your own?
Ruminant Biotech’s journey shows what’s possible when deep science meets thoughtful design. If you’ve got a bold idea with the potential to shift an industry, and need a partner to help shape, test or scale it, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with Blender and let’s bring it to life.
