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McDonald's is to launch a three-year study into methane emissions from cattle on 350 farms across Britain.

The announcement by the fast food chain, which uses beef from 350,000 cattle every year, comes in the wake of the government's Food 2030 strategy, which was unveiled last week.

It is the first official food strategy for more than 50 years, and sets out the government's vision on what an ideal food system should look like in 2030 and how to get there.

Gas produced by livestock currently accounts for four per cent of the UK's total carbon emissions, and is said to be 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The initiative is being run by the E-CO2 Project, an independent consultancy that delivers an energy and carbon assessment that helps farmers to target energy and carbon reduction opportunities.

A sophisticated greenhouse gas calculator, accredited by the Carbon Trust, will measure results over the duration of the study. It is hoped that the results will offer valuable insight into ways that farmers can reduce emissions and increase efficiency.

The production of a single cheeseburger involves the emission of 3.1kg of carbon dioxide, according to an American study in 2006.

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