Burger King’s Whopper With Cows That Fart Less - Explained

Burger King’s Whopper With Cows That Fart Less - Explained

The Problem 

Cows burp and fart methane, which is bad for the planet. The EPA claims that agriculture amounts to almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions; a portion of that comes from cattle digestion. How can people eat beef with a lower carbon footprint if cows’ burps and farts are killing the planet? Of course there are vegan options, but many consumers prefer real beef.

Burger King’s solution

That’s where Burger King’s new Whopper comes in. They claim that they can reduce emissions by more than 33% by using cows that burp and fart less. This way, consumers can feel better about their choices.

How it works

Burger King will add 100 grams of lemon grass to the diets of its cows. Lemon grass helps with digestion, so the cows will flatulate less. The chief marketing officer of Restaurant Brands International (Burger King’s parent company) told Business Insider that “without lemongrass, more methane is emitted primarily through burps, as well as farts.”

Is it enough?

This is a good first step for Burger King. In their song about methane that you can watch above, Burger King admits that they’re part of the problem. It’s important to take responsibility for your actions, both on a personal and a corporate level. Burger King sells the Impossible Whopper at their restaurants, and now they are improving the production process for their beef burgers to make them cleaner and more ethical.

The restaurant still has a long way to go. Their new innovation will not cut their emissions from cows entirely nor in half. A decrease of a third will not be enough in the long run; however, this is an important stride on the way to an emissions free planet.

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