FDBusiness.com

Lantmännen, the Nordic region’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products, and Yara, thespecialist in agricultural products and environmental protection agents, are taking a pioneering role in the transformation of the food system. The partners will launch a pilot project with the ambition to introduce the world’s first certified fossil free food chain. This move will enable consumers to mitigate their climate impact by making low-carbon food choices.

The transformation towards a fossil free food chain starts in the field. Crop nutrition, which is essential to ensure yield and quality, will play a key role in the transition to a more climate-friendly food production. The collaboration builds on Yara’s announced plans to pilot the production of mineral fertilizer with renewable energy, with the ambition to reduce the carbon footprint of Lantmännen’s end-products. The fertilizers, which Yara aims to bring to market by 2022, will reduce the total CO2-impact of grain farming by 20 percent.

“Lantmännen has been working systematically for a long time to develop sustainable solutions in many areas, not least when it comes to cultivation methods and concepts. Nordic farmers are leaders in sustainability, with a low climate impact by international standards even today. With this partnership, which is one of our most important initiatives yet, we take further steps towards a fossil free food chain and even more sustainable farming,” says Per Olof Nyman (pictured), Group President & CEO at Lantmännen.

The use of renewable energy as a feed stock for mineral fertilizer production will increase production costs and have an impact on food prices. By working closely within the whole food chain the ambition will be to minimize the additional cost for the consumer.

“This partnership is a first step towards achieveing the transformation of our food system. The pilot with Lantmännen will bring together the food chain partners in a joint effort to reduce the carbon footprint of food production. We must look at new business models that span the entire food value chain – from field to fork. A fossil free food chain is only possible with mineral fertilizers produced with renewable energy,” says Svein Tore Holsether, Group President & CEO at Yara.

Lantmännen and Yara are taking a first step in the transformation of the food chain and encourage other companies throughout the value chain to contribute as well.