Oklahoma Patent of the Month – January 2022

As the global population increases, so does the demand for our favorite products. This is why the farming industry is preparing for a rising demand for beef. Unfortunately, the farming and raising of cattle generates large quantities of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions come from all different points in the beef cattle lifecycle, from direct on-farm emissions to upstream feed production. In order for beef to be a viable food contender as our population grows, we need to be able to reduce their environmental impact.

Low Carbon Beef, LLC believes beef really can be a solution for climate change. To help this along, they have developed low carbon management practices which reduce the environmental impact of beef production.

Their life cycle assessment system uses machine learning and AI to analyze data and determine emissions from animal production down to individual animal performance. This system improves the ability to certify beef as environmentally sustainable. 

The process involves a series of data collection followed by in-depth analysis. The models may incorporate producer-specific management practice data or cattle specific performance data. By specifying more detailed data, the emissions can be quantified more accurately over time. The analysis can incorporate genetic data to determine an individual cattle’s genetic disposition to traits that influence emissions over their life cycle including feed efficiency and growth rate. 

Data Collection

The data to be analyzed can be obtained from various sources. For instance, sensors could monitor the consumption, emissions, and behaviors of the animals. This can then be used to predict conditions surrounding health, performance and production efficiency.

Data Analysis

The data then goes through an animal-centric model that analyzes and then rates the cattle’s performance and emissions. This rating can be used to guide a farmer’s management practices or tell a consumer how the beef they buy contributed to GHG emissions. If the cattle are produced with at least 10% lower GHG emissions than the industry standard, they can be certified as Low Carbon Beef.

This process is the only certification based on net total GHG emissions for the entire lifecycle of certified animals. They have been approved as a USDA process verified program service provider.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

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