Category: Report

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How the Nordic Baltic regions can manage the challenges in plant nutrition supply

The Nordic bioeconomy faces significant challenges in securing access to plant nutrition. To address these issues, the Bioeconomy Programme, led by Nordic Agri Research (NKJ), Nordic Forest Research (SNS) and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, has published a new report.

The report maps ongoing initiatives, identifies key challenges, and proposes preliminary policy measures to ensure a stable and sustainable plant nutrition supply in the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Background of the report

Global food production depends heavily on a stable supply of plant nutrition. Disruptions in this supply chain can have severe consequences for food security. Against this backdrop, the Bioeconomy Programme initiated a study to:

  • Map ongoing initiatives and activities aimed at securing plant nutrition supply in the Nordic and Baltic regions.
  • Identify risks and challenges associated with these initiatives.
  • Propose preliminary policy actions to strengthen self-sufficiency and reduce vulnerabilities.

Key findings and conclusions

The report reveals that several promising initiatives are under development, particularly in Sweden, with the potential to significantly reduce reliance on imported plant nutrition. These initiatives vary in scale and timeframe, with some already in production and others planned to launch before 2030.

Despite these positive developments, the report identifies several key challenges:

  • Uncertainty about future demand: Producers express concerns about whether consumers are willing to pay for fossil-free but potentially more expensive products.
  • Dependence on imported raw materials: Many initiatives rely on imported inputs, which can create vulnerabilities during global supply disruptions.
  • Access to green electricity: The increased demand for renewable energy may lead to bottlenecks, particularly in northern Sweden, where many projects are concentrated.
  • Regulatory barriers: Existing legislation and permit processes are often not adapted to new and innovative technologies, causing delays in implementation.

Recommended policy actions

To address these challenges, the report suggests several policy measures:

  • Establish common goals and strategies: Develop a unified vision for plant nutrition supply in the Nordic and Baltic regions.
  • Introduce economic incentives: Provide subsidies for fossil-free production and/or taxation on traditional, more environmentally harmful methods.
  • Reform regulations: Adapt legislation and permit processes to facilitate the implementation of new technologies.
  • Create networks and platforms: Promote collaboration among key stakeholders through Nordic/Baltic networks for knowledge exchange and joint development.

By implementing these measures, the Nordic and Baltic countries can strengthen their self-sufficiency in plant nutrition, reduce vulnerabilities to global disruptions, and foster a sustainable bioeconomy in the region.

For more detailed information, you can access the full report here.

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CANCELLED: Nordic Conference on the Challenges of Land Use

THE CONFERENCE IS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

 

How can we balance the multiple needs of land use in the Nordic region? Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) and Nordic Forest Research (SNS) invite you to a conference where challenges and opportunities in land use will be discussed from both research and policy perspectives.

The Nordic Land Use Conference
– solutions for sustainable land use in the Nordic region
Place: Hótel Varmaland, Borgarnes, Iceland
Time: May 7, 2025
Programme: scroll down

 

 

The conference aims to engage researchers and civil servants in a dialogue on national policy needs related to land use. Therefore, participants from the political sector, research organizations, and other relevant stakeholders are welcome.

The program will begin with a presentation of the upcoming report “Changes to Agricultural Land Use in the Nordic Countries – and Future Prospects for Collaboration”, providing an overview of changes in land use and future opportunities for collaboration. This will be followed by keynote speakers who will delve into the conference’s overarching theme.

The conference will then continue with thematic sessions that delve deeper into current issues. These sessions will bring together research projects and policy examples from the Nordic countries, with discussions led by experienced moderators to foster a dynamic and constructive dialogue.

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this important conference and contribute to the development of more sustainable land use in the Nordic region!


Register here THE CONFERENCE IS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE 
Registration fee is 1.500 SEK and includes lunch, conference refreshments and a three course dinner.

Target group
Developers or owners of concrete examples within the themes and current and potential users of them (this includes researchers, state officials, municipal workers, interest groups, intergovernmental organisations and private land owners, primarily in the Nordic region).

 

Preliminary program:

09:00–09.30 Registration

09:30–09:45 Opening statement

09:45–10.00 Presentation of report and purpose of conference

10:00–10:45 Keynote speaker 1

10:45–11.00 Coffee break

11:00–11:45 Panel discussion: The role of land use planning in preparedness

12.00–13.00 Lunch and networking

13.00–15:00 Thematic session 1 & 2 (parallel), see information below

15:00–17:00 Thematic session 3 & 4 (parallel) see information below

17.15 – 17.45 Conclusions & sum up

18:30 Networking dinner

 

Thematic sessions
Each thematic session will engage the participants in a discussion on solutions and challenges to get there within the chosen topic. The session will begin with 2-3 presentations of best practices, tools and models which will be followed by a workshop.

 Thematic session 1
Managing conflicting policy goals in land use management – Energy production

Description: The first two sessions will look into different tools, models and conclusions made from different parts of the Nordic region on how to handle conflicting policy goals and how various considerations and land-use interests can be balanced. This session will specifically focus on photovoltaics, how they can co-exict within landscapes, strategies and guidelines for handling the increased demand for photovoltaics.

Thematic session 2
Managing conflicting policy goals in land use management – functional landscapes

Description: The first two sessions will take a look into different tools, models and conclusions made from different parts of the Nordic region on how to handle conflicting policy goals and how various considerations and land-use interests can be balanced. This session will specifically focus on functional landscapes, for example the potentials of increasing biodiversity within a production landscape and steering instruments to prioritize between different national and international policy goals.

Thematic session 3
Spatial tools to support decision- and policymaking

Description: Spatial data, analysis and models can offer knowledge foundation to make decisions in high complexity situations. This session includes how to meet the challenge of data security, potentials of combinations of spatial data and sources and investigating how the establishment of the EU soil monitoring can be utilized for land use planning.

Thematic session 4
Multistakeholder dialogues in land use planning

Description: Dialogues can serve as a powerful tool to balance private and public interests in land use and to increase acceptance for land use changes amongst actors within a landscape. Improved cooperation between different stakeholders can also increase the likelihood that synergies in land use are exploited. This session explores local examples of stakeholder dialogues in the Nordic region and looks into the results and key learnings of them, to ultimately consider how these models and tools can be scaled or transferred to other parts in the Nordic region.

 

Organisers
Nordisk Kommitté för Jordbruks- och matforskning (NKJ) and SamNordisk Skogsforskning (SNS) / funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers

 

Background
During the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (EK-FJLS Agriculture and Forestry) meeting in Hardanger in April 2022, land use conflicts related to food production and agricultural land were discussed. The committee members recognised that agricultural and arable land is a limited resource, and that strategies and political guidelines to limit agricultural land loss and ensure food security while also ensuring that other national needs are met differ among Nordic countries. Following this discussion, Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) and Nordic Forest Research (SNS) were assigned to provide the committee with further knowledge on the situation of agricultural land and how agricultural land use disputes are handled in the Nordic countries. The results from this upcoming report form the foundation for this conference.

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Hackathons can help fill the future need for bioenergy

The Nordic-Baltic region faces urgent challenges in reducing CO2 emissions, requiring a joint effort towards sustainable energy solutions. Leveraging bioenergy solutions emerges as a key strategy to meet emission goals. It offers the potential to diminish reliance on fossil fuels across various sectors including heating, electricity generation, and transportation.

Text: From the report “Bioenergy – Knowledge transfer in the Nordic-Baltic region for increased uptake of sustainable bioenergy”

 

Find the report

 

Commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and supported through the Bioeconomy programme, this scoping paper delves into the intricate landscape of bioenergy innovations within the region. Employing a mixed-method approach combining desktop research and interviews, the study identifies opportunities for further knowledge transfer activities in the Nordic-Baltic region.

A technology neutral approach is vital for knowledge exchange activities as highlighted by experts included in the study. The interviews moreover led to the following observations:

✓ Current biomass challenges are directly linked to geopolitical conflicts

✓ Bioenergy has to rely on by-products, low value biomass and waste

✓ Bioenergy innovations are required to be flexible

✓ Regional areas of excellence provide opportunity for knowledge sharing

✓ Nordic-Baltic strongholds lie in integrated systems of bioenergy solutions

✓ Nordic-Baltic experts would benefit from a cooperation platform and regional funding

✓ Universities are a useful meeting place for experts to build solutions for local contexts

The Nordic-Baltic region gathers a wealth of expertise and industry interest in biomass use for energy production. Additionally, the region showcases various integrated system solutions for bioenergy—knowledge that could be applicable to other areas lacking such comprehensive approaches. This context provides a fertile foundation for fostering regional knowledge exchange and facilitating the adoption of innovative practices. Yet, amidst geopolitical uncertainties and fluctuating markets, the need for adaptability and flexibility in bioenergy strategies becomes apparent.

In response to these findings, a series of recommendations are proposed for further knowledge sharing activities:

✓ Facilitating industry and academy interactions via a Nordic-Baltic cooperation platform

✓ Supporting existing networks active in the region

✓ Creating a Nordic- Baltic call to promote regional cooperation

✓ Identifying successful integrated local solutions for knowledge sharing

✓ Involving tomorrow’s talents: organisation of Nordic-Baltic hackathons

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Recommendations to strengthen the Nordic bioeconomy

Expanded Nordic cooperation is the key to creating a more resilient bioeconomy, especially in the wake of polycrises. NKJ and SNS can now present a policy brief with recommendations to strengthen and develop the Nordic bioeconomy.

 

The basis for the recommendations are desktop studies of Nordic initiatives on crises management and resilience, and multiple dialogues with experts from the Nordic bioeconomy.

Addressing the challenges of one crisis, let alone multiple crises affecting the region simultaneously, requires coordinated efforts. Many different perspectives must be taken into account and how the different countries’ bioeconomies work must be clear.

The potential for more joint Nordic efforts to strengthen the resilience of the bioeconomy looks promising. The countries have similar social structures and topographies, there are already companies operating throughout the region, similar political ambitions in, for example, climate measures and existing networks and initiatives create good conditions for Nordic cooperation. It has also been shown that there is a strong interest in jointly meeting the challenges associated with crisis preparedness and crisis management in the bioeconomy.

This policy report presents five policy recommendations. Nordic decision-makers and stakeholders can enable effective progress towards a more resilient Nordic bioeconomy by:

1 Developing a joint roadmap for a resilient Nordic bioeconomy

2 Strengthening the resilience in the Nordic -bioeconomy value chains by identifying and addressing critical dependencies

3 Enabling an efficient, accessible, and safe -sharing of high-quality bioeconomy data across the Nordic region

4 Supporting knowledge sharing between Nordic crises communication functions

5 Integrating the recommendations for a more -resilient Nordic bioeconomy in the development of the Nordic Cooperation Program for 2025-2030

 

Read more details about the recommendations, and download the policy brief here

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New nutritional recommendations for both health and the environment

The new nutrion recommendations are not only guidelines for better health for humans, but also link health with the health of the planet.

 

In order for our food to be useful and sustainable for the future on Earth, we must eat less meat, and more fish and vegetables. That is the conclusion formulated in the new Nordic nutritional recommendations 2023 which are just launched. The recommendations are based on the best available science on food consumption, health, and the environment and shows that human health and sustainability goes hand in hand.

The nutrition recommendations are the result of four years of hard work by a project group within the Nordic Council of Ministers and lots of researchers and others engaged. The report provides a shared evidence-based foundation which assists the countries in developing dietary guidelines, but also receives international attention.

The new recommendations have changed on a number of points compared to the previous edition.

See what changes have been made to the nutritional recommendations

Find the Nordic nutritional recommendations 2023 here

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NKJ report on challenges for reindeer husbandry in the Nordic region

Recently, NKJ arranged a conference on challenges for reindeer husbandry in the Nordic region. The conclusions from the conference and an overall view of the state of reindeer husbandry in the Nordic countries are now available in a report.

 

The topic of the 2022 conference was challenges to reindeer husbandry, in particular the impact of predators, as well as consequences of a changing climate in Sweden, Finland and Norway. The conference contained four parts: Part 1: Loss of reindeer to predators, Part 2: Governance, Part 3: Ongoing research projects and Part 4:  Reindeer husbandry in a changing climate. The report gives a summary of the presentations and discussions in each part.

The report also gives a long list of key take-aways from the conference. The importance of synthesis between traditional and scientific knowledge is one of the twelve points in the list. Download the report (below) to see all of the messages the participating researchers, authorities, organisations and stakeholders underline.

The Nordic Conference on Reindeer Husbandry was arranged 9-10 November 2022 at NIBIO Svanhovd, Pasvik, Norway.

Download report

See the recorded presentations from the conference

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Concrete tools for checking the health of soil

Researchers have gathered science based information from different Nordic countries in a manual on how to check out the health of soil with low-tech methods, readily available and easy to use for farmers and others. The researchers also provide strategies for improving soil health. 

 

During 2021-2022 researchers gathered in the network “Nordic Network on soil health” (NetSH). They shared research, knowledge and experiences on how to improve and sustain soil health in Nordic agricultural soils. They shared the most relevant low-tech methods for evaluating soil health with each other and in workshops.

Healthy soil functions are important for healthy soil-plant ecosystems on the farms, so strategies for farmers to improve and sustain soil functions, soil structure and soil biology have been in focus. 

NetSH also held an open webinar, “Soil health in the Nordic region”, that gained a lot of attention with 130 participants. In addition to this, there were two online meetings and one on-soil workshop arranged by the network.

Lars Munkholm (Aarhus University) and Annette Vestergaard (SEGES) demonstrating ”Tjek jordens sundhed”, the Danish variant of soil health evaluation on the workshop in Norway (NIBIO Apelsvoll) in June 2022.
Photo: Reidun Pommeresche, NORSØK

MANUALS: How to check your soil?

Methods to evaluate soil health on farms has been demonstrated to make them available to as many as possible. Assessment of soil structure, soil compaction, root growth and soil biology has been discussed in the network and knowledge has been exchanged.

The most important tool is the spade combined with sensory evaluations, including pressing soil clumps between your fingers to evaluate how easily they brake and checking the smell of the soil in different depths.

The manuals are available in four Nordic languages:

• Norwegian: Jordlappen

• Danish: Tjek jordens sundhed

• Finnish: MARA Maan rakenteen aistinvarainen arviointi (2019) – Avointen oppimateriaalien kirjasto (aoe.fi) and Peltomaan laatutesti, Microsoft Word – Peltomaan_laatutesti_Havainto_ohjeet2.doc (proagria.fi)

• Swedish: Hur mår min jord?

These methods give a high score to soils with good structure with raisin shaped (rounded and porous) soil aggregates, deep and well growing plant roots, how easily the soil clumps brake, not to hard soil pans and the presence of several pink (inside) root noodles on legume roots and some earthworms in the soil. A healthy soil should relatively fast decompose organic matter, have some dark brown to black color due to organic matter content and have a smell of different fungi, like forest soils. All these methods include focus on comparing soil samples taken with a spade and to visualize and discuss soil functions and soil health with the farmers.

A selection of different low-cost methods showed under the NetSH workshop to visualize and discuss different aspects of soil health, like soil structure, aggregate stability and soil biology. Photo: Sissel Hansen/Reidun Pommeresche, NORSØK

  

 Compacted soil – a common Nordic problem

In the Nordic region we all experience the most severe soil problems in vegetable and cereal production. Much of this can be linked to soil compaction, with a very hard pan (zone) just below the tillage depth. But also in grass production there are soil structural and drainage challenges. In many cereal fields and some grass fields the straw and plant residues decompose very slowly or almost not at all.

In the Nordic region the soil types range from organic (peat) agricultural soils with more than 40 % soil organic matter to different mineral soils with low content of organic matter. In some areas the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) is creeping under 1,5 % (= 3 % soil organic matter SOM) which often is highlighted as a critical lower limit to several soil functions. In our Nordic cool conditions, we discussed that the content have to be higher than this for the soil to function well. 

 

Some strategies to improve soil health

A selection of strategies to improve soil health in the Nordic region as discussed in the Network-meetings and on the workshop is listed here. The order of the key words is not ranked.

Mineral soil:
How to improve soil biology? Input of plant residues and other organic material, better crop rotations and plant diversity, enough water and oxygen in the soil, increase the content of SOM if it is very low.
How to improve aggregate stability? Ley (grass/clover) in the crop rotation, green plants most of the year, use of animal manure and compost, and liming with limestone or natural gypsum.
How to avoid soil compaction and improve soil structure? Lowering tire load and tire pressure and not driving on wet soil. Use a mixture of cover crops, sub crop in cereal and when deep tillage is used, sow plants immediately.
How to improve the decomposition rate of straw and plant residues in the soil? Cover crops, cut the material before incorporation, check for drainage problems. Oxygen and gas exchange  very important for decomposition. Improve soil structure.
How to loosen a hard ploughing pan? Crop rotation + mechanically subsoiling, alfa alfa 2 years and animal manure/sludge.

Peaty soil:
In agricultural organic (peat) soil the aim should be to reduce carbon losses, instead of trying to increase the carbon content. Improve the soil structure from above, not plowing organic material to deep.

Let the spade become your friend

The Nordic farmer should use the spade to check their soils and a more diverse crop rotation as a start to improve soil health. Focus on soil structure and year around green plant cover will be useful in a future with a more unstable climate, with more heavy rains and droughts.

Some of the participants in the network Sustain Nordic soil health (NetSH) from the workshop June 20-21 2022 in Norway. From left to right in front: Reidun Pommeresche (NORSØK, network leader), Sissel Hansen (NORSØK), Mika Tähtikarhu (Luke), Henrik Vestergaard Poulsen (SEGES), Lars J. Munkholm (Aarhus University), Åsa Myrbeck (RISE), Pirjo Kivijärvi (Luke), Tatiana Rittl (NORSØK) and Mette Thomsen (NIBIO). 2. row from left to right: Franziska Fischer (NIBIO), Till Sehusen (NIBIO). 3. row from right to left: Randi B. Frøseth (NIBIO), Sari Iivonen (FORI/Luke) and Annette V. Vestergaard (SEGES). And in the back Frederik Bøe (NIBIO) and Thomas Julseth Brown.

 

Contact
Sustain Nordic soil health (NetSH)
Reidun Pommeresche, Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (NORSØK)

 
 

 

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Towards a common Nordic management of the wild boar

Svensk text längre ner

With a joint, Nordic working group, the wild boar will be handled in a better way. Wild boar, as is well known, easily cross national borders, which makes the countries dependent on each other in the management of the animal.

 

 

Petter Kjellander, professor at the Department of Ecology, unit wildlife, at SLU, has coordinated the compilation of a report that NKJ just published: “Wild boar in the Nordic countries“.

– The Nordic Council of Ministers wants to know about the wild boar situation in the Nordic countries. We have had a look at the biology of the wild boar, but also which conflict areas and management policies exist regarding the wild boar in the different Nordic countries.

So, why is it important to have an overall Nordic picture of the wild boar situation? Well, the wild boars found in Sweden may not stay in Sweden, but can easily cross the border to Norway. With a common and fact-based overview of the situation, it could be easier to deal with problems and get a consensus on necessary and effective measures.

– But regarding this we are in a really difficult situation, says Petter Kjellander, emphasizing the proximity to both Germany, the Baltics and Russia, where there are wild boars that just as easy can cross national borders, and bring the dreaded African swine fever.

The fact that the situations look so different in the different Nordic countries is due to the fact that historically different political decisions have been made based on the different conditions the countries have had. Denmark protects the important pig industry from swine fever by keeping the wild boars from Germany out, in Sweden there is a debate on how the agriculture should be kept safe.

– In Sweden, it has been decided that the wild boar population will be halved in five years.

Sweden has by far the largest tribe in the Nordic countries with at least 300,000 animals, while Norway and Finland have around 1,500 and Denmark and Iceland none at all. With a joint working group, as the report suggests, there is a better chance for more efficient management of the Nordic wild boar population.

– The Swedish administrators could be in a better position to make tougher decisions if  the other Nordic countries are backing them up. Discussing hunting and other management methods will be easier together.

Download the full report (free of charge)

 

Petter Kjellander about the report:

Anders Rolfsson, viltansvarig LRF Skåne, about handling the wild boar as a farmer:

Swedish text

Mot en gemensam nordisk strategi för vildsvinet

Med ett gemensamt, nordiskt samråd kan vi hantera vildsvinen på ett bättre sätt. Vildsvin tar sig, som bekant, lätt över nationsgränserna, vilket gör länderna beroende av varandra i frågan.

 

Petter Kjellander, Professor vid Institutionen för ekologi, enheten viltekologi, på SLU, har samordnat sammanställandet av en rapport som NKJ just har publicerat: ”Vildsvin i de nordiska länderna”.

– Nordiska Ministerrådet vill veta hur vildsvinssituationen ser ut i de nordiska länderna. Vi har tittat på vildsvinens biologi, men också vilka konfliktområden och förvaltningspolicies som finns kring vildsvinen i de olika nordiska länderna.

Så, varför är det viktigt att ha en samlad nordisk bild av vildsvinsläget? Jo, vildsvinen som finns i Sverige kanske inte behagar stanna i Sverige, utan tar sig lätt över gränsen till Norge. Med en gemensam och faktabaserad bild av läget kan det bli lättare att hantera problem och få en samsyn på nödvändiga och verksamma åtgärder.

– Men där är vi verkligen i en svår situation, säger Petter Kjellander och pekar på närheten till både Tyskland, Baltikum och Ryssland, där det också finns vildsvin som har lika lätt att ta sig över nationsgränser och som kan bära på den fruktade Afrikanska svinpesten.

Att situationerna ser så olika ut i de olika nordiska länderna beror på att man historiskt har fattat helt olika politiska beslut utifrån de olika förutsättningar som man har haft. Danmark skyddar sin stora grisindustri från svinpesten genom att hålla ute vildsvinen från Tyskland, Sverige har en debatt om hur böndernas grödor ska hållas skadefria.

– I Sverige har det fattats beslut om att vildsvinsstammen ska halveras på fem år.

Sverige har den absolut i särklass största stammen i Norden med minst 300 000 djur, medan Norge och Finland har runt 1 500 och Danmark och Island inga alls. Med ett gemensamt samråd, som rapporten föreslår, finns chans till en effektivare förvaltning av den nordiska vildsvinsstammen.

– Det hade kunnat hjälpa de svenska förvaltarna att fatta tuffare beslut om de har de andra nordiska länderna i ryggen. Det kan också bli lättare i frågor som jakttryck och andra sätt att hantera stammen om vi pratar med en mun i stället för att streta åt olika håll.

Ladda ner rapporten (gratis)

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Great interest in learning more about soil as a carbon sink

There were a huge interest in joining our seminar about the current state of knowledge on soil as a carbon sink. But we want to provide those who missed it, and those who wants to refresh the memory, the presentations from our speakers.

 

November 26th we met to have an overview of the state of Nordic knowledge on soil as a carbon sink. There are good conditions for Nordic cooperation due to the countries’ similar soil types, climate and policies.

But where are we at? Is there a common Nordic base in terms of knowledge? These were our speakers:

Prof emeritus Johan Bouma, board member in the European Commission’s mission in the area of Soil health and food: “Exploring the exciting potential of  the Nordic countries to capture soil carbon following climate change”

 

Prof Katarina Hedlund, Lund University: “How to turn agriculture soils into carbon sinks”

 

Prof Raisa Makipää, LUKE: “Forest soils and their carbon sequestration potential”

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Nordic ministers will use soil as a carbon sink

Farmers and foresters in the Nordic countries can be crucial for the climate. Forest and agricultural land is a possible option for storage of carbon that otherwise would remain in the atmosphere and cause climate change.

The Nordic ministers for agriculture now want to make the farmers – whom are often blamed for parts of the climate change – to be their allies in the work for increased carbon storage in the soil. Changed land use will help mitigating climate change. 

NKJ and SNS have dug deeper in the issue. Find and enjoy our report and brochure below.