The PGGRC research investment follows a research programme that aligns with the research strategy set in 2003  and will operate through a number of research providers working collectively. It draws together complimentary disciplines of microbiology, genomics, animal nutrition, genetics and farm systems to  develop mitigation solutions that have wide applicability across the entire livestock business and also offers opportunity for other pastoral based economies. Each programme of work has strategic go/no go points in their development  which will enable the consortium to flexibly concentrate on those opportunities that have the most promise of delivery.

The programme of work has six objectives:
Objective 1      Rumen microbial ecology and rumen microbial strategies to reduce methane emission
Objective 2      Methanogen genomics
Objective 3      Methanogen vaccines
Objective 4      Exploiting animal to animal variation
Objective 5      Low GHG emitting farm systems
Objective 6      Nitrous Oxide Mitigation

A strategy for research on abatement of New Zealands pastoral agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions wqas published in 2003. This strategy was developed following the publishing of the O'Hara report on the Abatement of Agricultural Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

 
The research outlined in this document has been funded through a partnership between government and the agricultural industry and is managed by the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGgRc). The dairy, sheep, beef cattle, deer sectors and fertiliser manufacturers are industry partners in PGgRc and contribute funds to its current and future research programmes and, independently, through their own programmes. The government contribution is direct to PGgRc via the Foundation of Research, Science and Technology (FRST) and through the Ministry of Agriculture's (MAF) own research programmes, which will continue to fully fund New Zealand's official inventory measurements.