Whole Foods will purchase methane-consuming microorganisms from this startup.

While carbon emissions are a significant contributor to global warming, methane, although less plentiful, is more detrimental to the planet. Methane is more effective at trapping heat than carbon. To achieve global climate objectives, it is crucial to eliminate it.

Agriculture, landfills, and oil production are sources of methane emissions. Some companies are attempting to reduce methane emissions, while others are capturing and removing it as it is produced. A California-based startup, Windfall Bio, has developed a method that may be effective in reducing methane emissions, although it may be considered slightly disgusting.

Windfall employs "mems" - methane-consuming microorganisms. These microscopic organisms, naturally found in soil, feed on methane as their survival food. Similar to yeast that consumes sugar in bread and produces substances that make it rise, mems consume methane and produce fertilizer. They are commonly found in soils and wetlands where organic matter decays and methane is abundant. However, mems can consume methane wherever it is present, so Windfall is deploying it to methane producers.

"Windfall Bio offers packets of mems that allow anyone with access to methane to capture it, convert it into fertilizer, and create value from it," said Josh Silverman, CEO of Windfall Bio. "Our customers include farmers who need to make their own fertilizer from cow farts, as well as those in the oil and gas industry who have waste methane from their operations. We also work with landfills and waste management."

If a farmer uses the mems, they can turn around and use the fertilizer themselves. If it's an oil producer or a landfill, Windfall will buy the fertilizer back from them, so they get paid for capturing methane.

The production of traditional fertilizer consumes a significant amount of energy and generates substantial carbon emissions, particularly during the production of ammonia fertilizer. Employing meme as a fertilizer would represent a cleaner alternative.

For a decade, Windfall studied the application of these microbes, and only recently have they begun offering this service to their clients.

"Silverman was taken aback by the high demand, which has surpassed our expectations and resulted in customers on every continent and more inbound interest than we can fulfill."

Although there is competition in the fertilizer industry and other emerging technologies for methane capture, Windfall's mem method seems to be distinctive. Investors claim they are not worried about its rapid expansion.

"Brett Morris, managing director with Cavallo Ventures, a Windfall Bio investor, stated, "We are highly motivated by the data we've seen so far and will continue to advance this in various pilots across different industries. Although they are still an early stage company, they are actively working to address the growing global customer demand.""

Whole Foods Market is collaborating with Windfall Bio on a pilot program with dairy suppliers to reduce methane emissions and promote climate-friendly products.

Windfall has received $37 million in funding from Prelude Ventures, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and Mayfield, in addition to Cavallo Ventures.