The future of agriculture

"We have to make sure that the farmer, the first link in the chain, gets a higher and fair share of the price of the end products."

The agricultural industry and farmers have been tried hard in recent years. Last year the problem was a cool summer with excessive amounts of rain. This year, it is the drought that has tormented the crops, leading to poor harvests and an acute shortage of feed for many farm animals. We have to count on the variations in the weather and difficult harvest years, and we can also handle this if only the business is otherwise profitable.

The big problem is that the profitability of agriculture has been very weak for several years. Agricultural subsidies have fallen, while production costs have risen while the prices of the products we sell have remained at a too low level for too long. Therefore, most farmers no longer have a financial buffer. This, together with weak harvests such as those we have experienced in recent years, have led us to the most difficult situation in thirty years,



Therefore, there is now really reason for extra support for agriculture. The European Commissioner for Agriculture has nevertheless noted that the crop damage is so widespread that the EU cannot afford to help the farmers. We must thus be able to solve our problems nationally, but unfortunately the Ministry of Finance's proposal for the state budget does not offer any pleasures. The government must come up with a better proposal when sitting in budget negotiations at the beginning of next week. Our food supply and food production workplaces should be saved with a national emergency package as soon as possible. The farms cannot afford to wait.

Still, the crisis package is only urgent help. The government, the Riksdag and, above all, all actors in the food sector should together create the conditions for a profitable operation for all stages of the food chain. We must ensure that the farmer, the first link in the chain, receives a higher and fair share of the price of the end products. In the long run, the profitability of agriculture can only be improved if the farmer receives a better price for his products from the market. This is also what the farmers want; get paid for the high-quality foods you produce, not crisis support of various kinds.

It is therefore good that there now seems to be a political will to take at least some measures to improve the position of farmers in the market. Establishing a food ombudsman with sufficient powers is a first step. In addition, measures should also be taken, for example, to get a working grain export started.

The greatest strength of Finnish agriculture is that a large proportion of consumers state that they want to eat domestic food. Consumers influence the future of Finnish agriculture in a concrete way with their purchasing decisions. Adequate, active and factual consumer information is therefore a very important part of the future strategy. It is important that we tell you how good products we produce in Finland, how they are produced and about price formation. Buying domestically, locally produced, organic or directly from the producer are all sustainable solutions to ensure the future of domestic agriculture.

Organic production

What is organic production? What distinguishes organic farming and animal husbandry, and how can organic production help Sweden reach the national environmental goals? You can read more about these topics here.

The term organic production includes

• organic cultivation
• organic animal husbandry, including aquaculture
• processing and processing of food, feed and yeast.

It is about producing food in a long-term and sustainable way - from soil to table. To do so, you need to use natural resources such as soil, energy and water in a way that affects the environment as little as possible. Organic production should also support biodiversity and safeguard animal welfare.

Objectives for organic production

In organic production, one should strive to

• protect the environment and climate
• preserve soil fertility in the long term
• reduce the amount of harmful substances in the environment
• maintain high animal welfare standards
• respect the animals' species-specific behavioral needs
• promote short distribution chains and produce more food locally in the various EU member states
• preserve rare and indigenous breeds that are endangered
• develop the range of plants adapted to the specific needs and goals of organic farming
• contribute to a high degree of biodiversity
• promote the development of organic plant breeding to make it more profitable to grow organically.

So organic production stands out

There are, above all, three things that characterize organic production:

• how to deal with pests and weeds
• how to ensure that plants get enough nutrition
• what you feed the animals with and how the animals are kept.

Prevention methods against pests and weeds

In organic farming, only a few plant protection products can be used against weeds, diseases and pests. Organic growers therefore primarily use preventive methods. For example, they may choose to grow plant varieties that are better resistant to attack.

In organic production, the plant sequence is more varied. When the same plant is grown several years in a row, the risk of pests and weeds that thrive in that plant increases. The weeds that, after all, multiply are cleaned away by machines or by hand. However, switching between different plants is something that all farmers need to be careful about.

Organic plant nutrition

In organic production, it is important to keep up with the plant industry and to build up the fertility of the soil. The grower must not use artificial fertilizers, such as mineral fertilizers that have been produced in industrial processes. Instead, fertilizers and other plant nutrients from animals and plants are used on their own farms.

Organic growers can nourish the plants by using

• manure from animals
• plant compost
• products from the plant or animal kingdom that do not become food
• green manure (which means that you grow plants that nourish them when they are cultivated in the soil, for example legumes).

These types of plant nutrients are also used in conventional cultivation, but then as a complement to mineral fertilizers.

The important role of animals

Organic animal husbandry strives for the animals to be able to behave as naturally as possible. For example, chickens may not be kept in cages, and the basic rule is that cows and other cattle should be kept loose. Pigs and poultry also have the right to stay outside and get roughage.

Keepers of organic production are not allowed to use medicines for preventive purposes, but only if they are really needed. Therefore, it is especially important to have animals with good health. Animal health problems are prevented by, for example

• choose animals of suitable breeds with suitable genes
• use methods of animal husbandry that prevent the spread of diseases.

In addition, keepers with organic production must have documented knowledge of animal welfare and animal health.

Plant and animal husbandry must be in balance, so that the animals primarily feed on their own farm and the manure is used to nourish their own field. An ecological farm with animal husbandry thus functions as a cycle, where all the farm's resources are used efficiently. Farms that have only plant cultivation achieve a similar effect by cooperating with animal husbandry nearby and using, for example, bio-fertilizers as a plant industry.

Benefits and challenges of organic production

It is often talked about that organic foods are more environmentally friendly and healthier than foods produced in non-organic production. But is organic production better than other types of production?

There are several benefits to organic production. Here are some examples:

• The limited use of plant protection products in organic farming helps to reduce the spread of toxins in the environment.
• The varied production sequences of organic production with a greater element of whale cultivation can help increase biodiversity. This is especially true in areas where the variation in the landscape is not as great, as in the plains, for example.
• There is a higher demand for animal welfare in organic production. For example, all kinds of animals should have the opportunity to stay outside.

At the same time, there are advantages to non-organic production. For example, it is more time efficient, since you do not have to spend as much time cleaning weeds. Non-organic production also yields higher harvests in many cases. This is because chemical agents may be used to control weeds and plant diseases, which would otherwise reduce crop yields.

Organic production also follows stricter rules than other types of production and usually provides a little less amount of food. This makes production more expensive, which in turn leads to higher prices in the grocery store.

In the short term we would not be able to produce as much food as today if there was only organic farming. Thus, organic agriculture and other agriculture complement each other. Both organic and non-organic production is constantly evolving to provide us with more food, without it having a greater impact on the environment or adversely affecting the health of animals and humans.

Sustainable agriculture is a matter of destiny

Sustainable agriculture is a matter of destiny. Agriculture in Sweden and around the world accounts for a large part of the climate and environmental impact both globally and locally. But with sustainable production of food, you also reach the many solutions, says Anita Falkenek, CEO of KRAV .

We receive more or less daily reports in the media about climate change and about how nature is being depleted as a result of human impact. Sustainable agriculture is a matter of destiny.

- This applies not least to agriculture, which must be more sustainable in the long term. And not only is it possible, it is also necessary. Not least for our children and grandchildren, says Anita Falkenek, CEO of KRAV.

Swedish agriculture is far ahead compared to how it looks in many other countries. We have tough legislation, we are a leader in animal welfare and animal health and there is a great interest both among consumers and among producers for sustainably produced food in the country.

Anita Falkenek emphasizes that several, parallel measures are needed in agriculture, industry and by us consumers.

- It is clearly necessary to move to a more sustainable agriculture, where there are clear regulations for ecological and KRAV that protect the soil, watercourses and biodiversity.

Anita Falkenek explains that there are good conditions for increasing organic farming.

- A recent study shows that Swedish farms that are ecologically driven have better profitability than traditional farms. The crop yields of organic farms are also gradually increasing, partly because the knowledge of crops and farming methods is increased and partly because the soil is feeling better when their fertility increases.

Another assumption that Anita Falkenek emphasizes is that consumers continue to demand organically produced food.

- The Swedish farmers are good at adjusting their production according to what we consumers demand, says Anita Falkenek.

But as consumers , we also have to take greater responsibility, Anita Falkenek points out.

- Foods today are generally too cheap. The production of food has become increasingly efficient, which is good but often at the expense of a great environmental and climate impact. Something like that as a consumer is difficult to have facts about.

- In addition, we are now discarding to consumers a large part of the foods we trade, which have thus cost us money to buy and cost the environment to manufacture. Processing and retailing also needs to reduce their waste of food being discarded.

A third aspect that Anita Falkenek emphasizes is that we must change our eating habits in other ways as well.

- We must increase the proportion of vegetables and eat less meat. It is good for both our health and the environment. It is simply more resource efficient and has far less climatic impact on growing vegetables and cereals that we as consumers eat than giving it to the cattle. But when we eat meat, it is important that we choose meat from organic farms or from animals that have grazed on natural pastures.

- It is also very important to remember that organic farming needs animals to create a sustainable cycle with the industry.

One question that Anita Falkenek often gets is whether the food would be sufficient for everyone if all food was produced in an organic way.

"Yes, I am convinced," she says emphatically. But it requires that we use a combination of the conditions that exist, that is, reduce food waste and our meat consumption. Then the food that is produced can be grown and produced organically, so that it does not happen at the expense of nature.

- There is also a reserve. Up to ten percent of all agricultural land in Sweden is currently in decline.
The production of food in Sweden and around the world accounts for a large part of the climate and environmental impact both globally and locally. But with sustainable production of food, you also reach the many solutions, says Anita Falkenek, CEO of KRAV.

Several perspectives necessary for sustainable agriculture

At the end of last year, the debate on organic food and biofuels took off. The climate impact of agriculture was a central theme and it has been clear that the debate concerns difficult balances between different types of environmental impact. On April 11, during a lunch seminar, the researchers broaden the discussion. Intensive agriculture can give higher harvests and thereby free up land for other purposes, but can, for example, threaten bees and other insects.

So how we use arable land for long-term food supply clear while we get new raw materials for the production of biofuels and new bio-based products?

- The challenges are many. I think it is important to show that there are very good opportunities for different and sustainable production in the future. It is needed as a counter-image to all alarms about insect death, deforestation and eutrophication, says Christel Cederberg, assistant professor of physical resource theory, and one of the lecturers at the lunch seminar.

Christel Cederberg believes that one of our most important sustainability assignments is to use our soils so that they remain long-term fertile for future generations. In a global perspective, the harvests are unnecessarily low on large areas of agricultural land due to poor management methods, erosion and falling soil contents.

- It's really a waste of resources. The arable land must be handed over to future generations without deteriorating quality. Here, a much greater general awareness is needed. On the consumption side, it is about reducing food waste and reducing the excessive intake of animal protein, which we have in the western world today, she says.

On the production side, it is about developing sustainable production systems from a broad perspective. Emissions of greenhouse gases must be reduced at the same time as it is necessary to improve nutrient cycles, and for example develop cultivation systems using as little pesticides, chemical pesticides as possible.

Earlier this year, the journal Biological Conservation published a report with the first global research review showing that the world is heading for a mass extermination of not only bees but of all insects. So how do we cope with the challenge of food production given the climate and biodiversity?

- The increasing use of chemicals in agriculture globally is one of the major future issues for achieving sustainable food production, says Christel Cederberg.
In the longer term, she believes that people will look back on the period from the second half of the 20th century onwards and ask - "how could you allow the spread of so many toxic substances in such large volumes in the world's agriculture?"

- Exactly when the insights are spreading on a wide front in the world I dare not speculate, but I have some reflections. When the world's most widely used herbicide, glyphosate, Roundup, was launched in the 1970s, it was considered almost harmless. In fact, there were experts who said it was so harmless to drink it.

When genetically modified crops were introduced on a broad front in North and South America in the early 2000s, it was claimed that an environmentally friendly cultivation concept had been developed when growing glyphosate-tolerant soybeans.

- There was no need to spray other herbicides - glyphosate was a pesticide with such good properties. But today it sounds different. Suspicions about the link between cancer and repeated glyphosate management have put the issue under strong scrutiny, and within the EU there is talk of a ban on use, says Christel Cederberg

She has also reflected on the increase in the number of research studies that show how the large use of insecticides and chemical pesticides in agriculture beats the diversity of insects, the necessary pollinators. As insects become fewer, food production and natural ecosystems are threatened because they play an essential role in many ecosystem processes. 

- So it is extremely important that we find methods and cultivation systems that reduce the dependence on pesticides.
Sweden can contribute to becoming a pioneering country in Europe in terms of agriculture and forestry by being at the forefront and developing new technologies and cultivation systems.

- Innovation, both with technical and biological methods, is very important. If we take agriculture then you can probably say that Sweden is a leading country in Europe in terms of antibiotic use in animal husbandry. It is very low compared to the major animal producing countries. Another example of innovation is the development of a combination machine in Sweden that both wounds and cleans by precision chopping, which can replace spraying with chemical herbicides, says Christel Cederberg.

If there is demand, there will be methods. The machine has been developed in organic farming as a method for handling weeds without chemicals. Today, the machine system is also used by conventional farmers who do not want to spray as much.

- I think Sweden's contribution is to invest in developing technologies that reduce the use of chemicals. In the long run, this is the only way to go in food production.

At the lunch seminar on April 11, researchers from Chalmers and the University of Aarhus will participate in Denmark. What perspectives will you offer together?

- In the Interreg project Green Valleys, which is a collaborative project between Sweden and Denmark, we will develop and investigate grass-based biorefineries and this is really a new thinking in agriculture. And then I think of the whole system level because perennial grasslands that do not need pesticides, and which are good for soil fertility, produce the biomass which in biorefinery is converted into high-quality protein and bioenergy.
Green Valleys is also about high-yield systems, but where disadvantages such as nitrogen leakage and insecticides and chemical pesticides are minimized.

- If we can grow more grassland instead of annual crops, such as cereals and soy, then there is good opportunity to incorporate more carbon into the soil's humus, that is, we get a carbon sink over time, as the soil's coal supply, humus content, increases over time. . In addition, soil fertility increases as agricultural land containing more carbon is also more water-holding and has better structure.
It's a win-win situation, of course, she concludes.

Sustainable agriculture can slow down the mass extinction of species

Earth species are dying out at a faster rate than ever before, according to a new UN report. The development also affects us people in our own local environment. Mass extinction must be slowed down and never before has it been so important to change to sustainable agriculture.

According to the UN's new report on the so-called "sixth mass extinction" of plant and animal species, human carelessness has led to almost one million species at risk of extinction in the coming decades. A clear human imprint has been confirmed in three-quarters of the earth's land environments, and two-thirds of marine environments. Wild vertebrates have already declined by as much as 60 percent since 1970, according to WWF. At the same time, the new UN report establishes a clear link between human survival and nature.

Economic and social problem

It is not only animals and nature that do harm, but we humans too. Man is completely dependent on a thriving biodiversity to be able to drink clean water, put food on the tables and have access to medicines and energy. The loss of biodiversity is not an isolated environmental problem, but an economic, security and social problem.

It is extra acute for the quarter of the world's people who depend on agriculture for their income. Growers and employees at the world's plantations are already exposed to the ongoing degradation of ecosystems, the increase of environmental toxins in nature, changes in the land mass and increased soil erosion.

Changes in agriculture are required

The accelerating loss of species largely depends on how we humans live and produce our food. In order for the eradication of species to slow down, a change in agriculture is required. Among other things, so-called monocultural cultivation methods need to cease, that is, large crops with only one kind of crop where all other vegetation is cut down in favor of the single crop. It is an unnatural way of cultivation that risks knocking out local ecosystems and leading to extinction of both animal and plant species.

Cultivation of several crops mixed with other plant species needs to be encouraged as an alternative. Such cultivation is more natural and a good way of securing long-term harvest. The trees can shade sun-sensitive crops and contribute to thriving local ecosystems. In addition, more growers need to switch to organic farming, stop using toxic pesticides and develop more productive and resilient production methods - which can generate as much food, but on less surface. Deforestation in order to increase cultivation areas also needs to cease.

Small funds can make a big difference

It is a striking thought that we humans can destroy entire ecosystems with our large industries, our over-consumption and our unsustainable farming practices. At the same time, it is also possible to create new ecosystems with fairly small resources. Many now encourage the diversity of their own garden, through simple tricks such as growing pollen-rich flowers, building bi-hotels or letting the grass grow wild to mimic a meadow (a landscape type that is disappearing). Enabling species richness in their own garden benefits other ecosystems even outside the garden boundary, since no ecosystem is isolated.

Similarly, we need to encourage individual growers to switch to sustainable agriculture. Any cultivator who starts growing according to more sustainable and productive methods can stop the sixth mass extinction. Adjusting creates better conditions for long-term planning and a safer family income over time. It also reduces the vulnerability of growers to changes in weather and climate. Using fewer chemicals benefits humans at least as much as the environment; and planting more trees binds carbon dioxide, which reduces the climate impact of agriculture. But the transition can be expensive and uncertain. Therefore, consumers, businesses and the public sector need to demonstrate that demand for sustainably produced raw materials is high.

This is how we create even more sustainable agriculture

Agriculture must be profitable

Our self-sufficiency ratio has decreased from 85 per cent to less than 50 per cent in the last 25 years. We are only self-sufficient in cereals and to 70 percent of potatoes. The worst is with meat products. In order to ensure food security, agriculture must again become a profitable business, which is not the case today for many farmers. The government's food strategy clearly states that agricultural production needs to be increased. The crucial question is by what means and methods this can be achieved, which is unclear.

Good plant material adapted to Nordic climatic conditions is a prerequisite for increased productivity. Sweden should again become a leader in plant breeding, preferably in a Nordic collaboration and with modern genetic engineering. Higher hectare yields also give room for cultivation of other than food crops. An important prerequisite is that we do not seal arable land under asphalt and concrete. The understanding of the central importance of arable land for our future welfare must permeate tomorrow's decision.

Research is needed on weeds and pests

Consumers consider that residues of agricultural chemical pesticides in food constitute a major health risk, which is a clear exaggeration. "Poisons" in the food is also a recurring argument for eco-farming. All farmers prefer to grow without pesticides but today lack alternative methods that are equally good. Eco farming also shows how difficult it is to fight weeds and pests without chemical alternatives. Precisely combating weeds and pests is therefore an important area for a multidisciplinary research effort to find alternatives or complements to chemical pesticides. Effective plant protection is needed to increase productivity and minimize yield variations over the years.

The number of pollinating insects is falling

In the field of cultivation weeds and pests must be combated to achieve efficient production. On the other hand, weeds and insects are important food for birds and contribute to biological control of pests. If parts of fields are allocated to wild plant elements and exempted for chemical control, biodiversity is promoted. Most of the biodiversity of the cultivation landscape is otherwise outside the field itself in pastures, on arable islands, around stone walls, in hedges, some of these small biotopes are part of an economic environmental support program that has been around for a long time. One problem that has been noticed in recent years is that the number of pollinating insects is steadily decreasing. Information and the establishment of a special financial support for the keeping of bees and the promotion of environments for wild pollinators could break this trend.

Agriculture a potential carbon sink

Agriculture can reduce its carbon footprint by binding more coal and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With more catch crops and perennial crops, as well as increased yield, one can increase the carbon storage in the soil, that is, the moth content. Agriculture can become a significant carbon sink. The ruminants account for a large part of agriculture's total greenhouse gas emissions. In the field of organic farming, milk and meat production is a dominant operating direction. With more efficient feeding and feed conversion, methane emissions can be further reduced.

Agriculture has the raw materials for the production of, for example, biogas and biodiesel, and the entire business can become completely independent of fossil energy for machines and droughts, and also the production of mineral fertilizers.

Knowledge should go before thinking

We should move into the future by continuing to seek sustainability deficiencies in our modern agriculture and finding ways to remedy them. That journey never ends, but strong research is the basis of this sustainability work. An objective factual communication, respect for knowledge before thinking and analyzes without preconceived opinions are important conditions for success. Funds for research should be distributed without dogmatic frameworks so that innovative innovation can help improve our agriculture. State environmental support should only be used for production methods and measures where the benefits have been scientifically documented.