Abstract: BERAS - Baltic Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Society

Project coordinator:
Associate professor Artur Granstedt, PhD
Dept. of Ecology and Crop Production Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Lead Partner)
Contact address: Artur Granstedt, The Biodynamic Research Institute
Skilleby, 153 91 Järna, Tel. +46 8 551 57702, Fax +468 552 716 70 
www.jdb.se/sbfi
arturgranstedt@jdb.se

Problem to be addressed
The serious environmental situation in the Baltic Sea is a consequence of agricultural specialisation, pollution from industries, incorrect waste management and the lifestyle prevailing in the countries around the Baltic Sea (i.e. in its drainage basin). Increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution have given rise to growing eutrophication, greatly increased algal blooms and a resultant deficiency of oxygen, with adverse effects on marine life (Havsmiljökommisionen 2003; HELCOM, 1998; 2003; Johnsson & Mårtensson, 2002,). The consequences of mistakes in terms of agricultural specialisation must be taken into consideration also in countries that are about to introduce changes in their agricultural sectors. Otherwise, there may be a dramatic increase in loadings also from this countries like Poland and the Baltic states, according to the final conclusions of the INTERREG IIB BERNET project Baltic Europhication Research Network (Fyns Amt, 2002). It has been shown that the goal of halving nitrogen losses from human activities cannot be achieved unless agriculture is restructured in the Baltic drainage area so that as large a proportion of nutrients as possible can be recycled within the system, instead of being lost (Granstedt, 1992 2000, 2002).

Several studies indicate that diverse agricultural production, with recycling spatial integration of crops and animals, and consumption of ecologically and locally produced food can achieve benefits for both the distant and the ambient environment. Reduced consumption of limited energy and other stock resources, resulting in less pollution of air, water and soil , and increased recycling of nutrients in agriculture, reducing leaching from fields, are necessary. They will also contribute positively to regional development, increasing employment and enhancing health and quality of life. Significant local initiatives in this direction can be found in small rural communities in the countries concerned, and there is a need to analyse their environmental and economic consequences, as well as the opportunities and obstacles facing different actors along the food chain. It is also necessary to develop knowledge, and to recognise the potential for and consequences of a larger-scale changeover.

Twenty Partners from eight countries around the Baltic Sea
The BERAS-project include 20 partners including research institutes, universities and official authorities in the eight partner countries, is running during three years from march 2003 until February 2006 and have a total budget within EU INTERREG III B of 2.156.050 (EUR). Of this is 1 376 525 (EUR) founded from EU INTERREG III B and 788 525 (EUR) will according the approved EU-application be founded from national co-financing from the contracted partners ( Annex 1). The BERAS project have also became additional founds for the work in Estonia, Latvia and Poland from the EU PHARE programme.

• Swedish University of Agricultur Sciences. Dept of Ecology & Crop Production Sciences. SE (Lead partner)
• The Biodynamic Research Institute Foundation, Järna SE
• Department of Landscape Planning, Ultuna, Swedish University of Agricultur Sciences SE
• Södertälje Municipality SE
• Kalmar County SE
• University of Helsinki, Mikkeli Institute for Rural Research and Training FI
• MTT Agrifood Research Finland / Ecological Production, Partala FI
• South Savo Regional Environment Centre FI
• Juva Municipality FI
• Fyn County, Nature Management and Water Environment Division DK
• Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming DK
• ZALF, Centre for Agricultural Landscape and Land Use Research DE
• Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation. PL
• Polish Ecological Club PL
• Klapeida University, Faculty of Social Sciences LT
• Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Department of Applied Ecology LT
• Latvian University of Agriculture, Department of Fieldmanagement LV
• Association of Organic Agriculture Organisations in Latvia LV
• Centre for Ecological Engineering Tartu EE
• Estonian Biodynamic Organisation EE
In Sweden is in additional to the BERAS partners also Stockholm County Council supporting the project. In Finland is the Ministry of Agriculture co-financing.

Central objectives
The aim is to develop a knowledge base regarding possible means of significantly decreasing consumption of non-renewable energy and other limited resources, and of reducing the negative environmental impacts of agricultural production, distribution, processing and consumption of food. At the same time, the measures identified should enhance landscape diversity and promote local economies and employment in rural areas of the Baltic Sea countries. The work is based on practical case studies, primarily in one or two selected rural areas, complemented by selected reference farms in each country, where practical initiatives have been taken to bring about lifestyle changes through the whole of the food chain – from primary agricultural production, via processing, distribution and storage to final consumption – based on ecological production (agriculture and processing), recycling and a minimisation of transport systems which contribute to the greenhouse effect. The project consist of three component parts:

(i) Promoting and documenting local sustainable ecological activities. Motivation of and obstacles facing food producers, processors, distributors and consumers;

(ii) Effects on the environment, natural resources and health; and

(iii) Sociological and economic consequences at the private, societal and natural resource economy levels, including job opportunities and cultural activities in rural areas and near villages. By encouraging exchanges of experience, learning and cooperation among actors involved in similar initiatives, and through exchange and dissemination of experience gained in the different countries of the Baltic Sea region, the project will enhance the knowledge, expertise and motivation of the actors concerned and improve the prospects of achieving environmental policy goals and dissemination of sustainable spatial food production and consumption systems.

Expected outcome
Evaluation and demonstration of the potential of ecological recycling-based agriculture, combined with priority for local and regional processing, distribution and consumption, to achieve the goal of reducing consumption of limited resources, emissions of greenhouse gases and nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to the Baltic Sea area by half or more, according to politically decided environmental goals for the region. Already established initiatives in the countries involved will be utilised during the project period, with a view to improving ongoing initiatives by encouraging exchanges of experience, learning and cooperation among actors involved in local ecological agricultural production, local processing, distribution and consumption (private, schools and institutions), adapted to different environmental, economic and sociological conditions, and combined with well-motivated rural development. The results will be disseminated and provide information for actors in society and a basis for spatial planning to achieve agreed environmental goals for the future of the Baltic Sea and the people living in the region. This will involve integration of animal and crop production and consumption in the local region, with the aim of achieving greater recycling of plant nutrients, shorter distances for transport, and hence decreased consumption of limited resources and a significant reduction in dangerous emissions. Results, recommendations and evaluated examples will be published in an Agenda for Baltic Ecological Recycling-based Agriculture and Society.

Methodological approach
The BERAS – project include five Work Package (WP). An working plan divided in six time periods is established for each of them. The first WP (1), is intended to promote selected, already established local ecological food initiatives and recycling farms in each country and exchange of experience with other initiatives in and between the project countries. Obstacles will be identified, and learning how solving such problems and developing initiatives further will be promoted through confrontation with other similar initiatives and with the experts participating. The second WP (2) study what environmental benefits can be achieved through local ecological consumption, processing and ecological integrated recycling farming, in comparison with conventional food systems. The principle of calculation nutrients recycling agriculture is developed of Granstedt and others (Granstedt, 1992; 2000) and also used in a simplified form in the Swedish extension service (Jorbruksverket, 1998). Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, surplus and emissions of reactive nitrogen (air / water pollution) and surplus of phosphorus compounds is quantified for the agriculture–society system and related to the food basket. The third WP (3) evaluate market economic, economic consequences at the societal level and from a natural resource economy and the fourth WP (4) the consequences at the societal level including rural development and job opportunities) and finally Agenda (WP5) with recommendation for implementations and dissemination.

WP no. 1 Local ecological consumer-producer cooperation for sustainable rural development
Strategic focus: Documentation, evaluation, overcoming of obstacles and promotion of ongoing local interaction to achieve more sustainable rural development.
Planned results: Knowledge, competence and implementation of local, ecological recycling-based food chains to reduce consumption of limited resources, greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication in the Baltic Sea drainage area. Koordinator: Laura Seppanen, PhD, laura.seppanen@helsinki.fi
First BERAS report: Local and Organic Food and Farming. Available as pdf-file

WP no. 2 Evaluation of environmental consequences and recommendations for improvements
Strategic focus: Analysis and evaluation of results achieved: resource conservation, energy use, CO2 emissions, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, and effects on diversity and landscape of the agriculture-society system.
Planned results: Recommendations and feedbacks to WP 1 to optimise the system for achieving the formulated goals, and final evaluations as an input to dissemination through WP 5. Koordinators: Olof Thomsson, PhD (life cycle assessments), olof.wbt@post.utfors.se . and Thomas Schneider, PhD (plant nutrient emissions), Thomas.Schneider@natgeo.su.se

WP no. 3 Evaluation of the economic consequences and recommendations for improvements
Strategic focus Assessment of the market economic consequences for the actors involved and of the economic consequences at the societal level and from a natural resource economy point of view.
Planned results Recommendations and feedbacks to WP 1 to optimise the system for achieving the formulated goals, adapted to market and national economies; final evaluations as an input to dissemination through WP 5. Koordinator: Professor John Sumelius, PhD, john.sumelius@helsinki.fi

WP no. 4 Sociological, society - economic and political consequences
Strategic focus Analysis of sociological consequences, including rural development, job opportunities, eco-tourism and cultural life in rural areas, and elaboration of possible spatial planning and political strategies.
Planned results Recommendations at societal level on integration of diverse crop and animal production, small-scale food processing, and food consumption based on local/regional production; feedback to WP1 and input to WP5. Koordinator: Professor Kari Vesala, PhD, kari.vesala@helsinki.fi

WP no. 5 Agenda for Baltic Ecological Recycling-based Agriculture and Society - dissemination and implementation
Strategic focus: Final evaluations, dissemination of experience and results achieved, through demonstration, seminars and support for implementation of other similar initiatives around the Baltic Sea.
Planned results: Dissemination of results achieved. The agenda and recommendations for sustainable rural development and restoration of the Baltic Sea environment will be implemented in the countries around the Baltic Sea. Koordinator: Associate Professor Artur Granstedt, PhD, arturgranstedt@jdb.se

The main coordinator is Artur Granstedt assisted of Leif Holmberg (assistant coordinator, economy) and Hans von Essen, MSc (project secretary).

A complete description of the activities and time plan is given in the BERAS BRS INTERREG III B application

Locations of activities
Activities will be located in organic farm associations : (1) Järna, Stockholm county in Sweden; (2) Vassmolösa, Kalmar county in Sweden; (3) Juva, Mikkeli county in Finland; (4), Fyn county, Denmark; (5) Bioranch Zempow in Germany; (6) Kluczbork and (7) Brodniza in Poland; (8) Raseiniai in Lithuania; (9) Renda "Green County" in Latvia; (10) Pahkla Camphill village, Prillimäe in Estonia (locations marked with green points on map). Locations of the additional 35 reference farms for studies organic recycling farming comparing with conventional agriculture mainly for calculations of plant nutrient balances during different environmental and farming conditions in the countries respectively - are marked with red points (figure 4). Additional 15 reference farms have been included after the project start. Locations of the partners are marked with yellow points on the map. Of the stydy farms are 15 managed according biodynamic principles.

Dissemination
In each of the countries involved, networks of local initiatives will be developed to promote local, ecological recycling-based food consumption in cooperative systems involving ecological farmers. Farmers are continuously informed of results achieved and receive support for their activities in rural areas and in villages. Dissemination of results and promotion of further similar initiatives will be aimed at regional and local policymakers (special working with spatial planning), at industrial and financial actors within agriculture, the food industry and distribution, and, at the grassroots level, at consumers, farmers and small-scale actors along the food chain, to encourage a transition to a more sustainable lifestyle in the agro-food sector. The reports are publishing trough the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CUL), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciencis , Uppsala. One first report is published and one more is under publishing during 2004. The final work programme (WP5) will produce an Agenda with recommendations for implementations and dissemination to concerned actors including policy and decision makers.


Järna 2004-11-07



Artur Granstedt




Figure 1. Energy, material and plant nutrient flows in cooperation between local ecological producers, processors, retailers and consumers in Järna. The goal is, by promoting a high degree of recycling, reduced use of non-renewable energy, and use of the best known ecological techniques in each part of the system, to reduce consumption of limited resources and minimize harmful emissions to the atmosphere, soil and water(Granstedt 2002).


Figure 2. Baltic Sea drainage area, Sub-Regions and location of the selected 35 ecological prototype farms (red dots) and case studies (green dots) in the whole food chain 2003-2006 in the EU-founded INTERREG IIIB project BERAS (Baltic Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Society). The project is co-ordinated of Artur Granstedt, The Biodynamic Research Institute.

Figure 3. The Biodynamic Whole Farm Organism as the basic concept for the Baltic area and European Agriculture. The goal is, by promoting a high degree of recycling, reduced use of non-renewable energy, and use of the best known ecological techniques in each part of the system, to reduce consumption of limited resources and minimize harmful emissions to the atmosphere and water and promoting the fertility of soil (Granstedt 2002)

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

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Figure 7.