ClimateVeg

The climate and environment profile of Danish organic vegetables must be improved

The Danish demand for organic fruit and vegetables is growing significantly and has tripled in six years. It is the largest organic product line, larger than milk, cheese and eggs altogether. Vegetables are expected partly to replace animal products in the climate-friendly diets of the future, and according to the national food recommendations, vegetables must comprise a share of 2/5 of the food on the plate.

The current profile of climatic and environmental impact of Danish organic vegetables is challenged by a high risk of nitrate leaching and loss of carbon from the soil for field-grown vegetables and a high energy level for vegetables grown in protected enviroments.

The profile of climatic and environmental impact of the vegetables we eat, is therefore pivotal to obtain the highest possible reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from food production.

Purpose of the project

The Organic RDD 4-project “ClimateVeg” brings focus on the Danish organic vegetable production from fields and protected environments.

The overall goal of “ClimateVeg” is to document the profile of climatic and environmental impact of Danish organic vegetables and identify opportunities for improvement in close collaboration with large Danish organic vegetable producers.

Project period: 2019-2022

Focus is on the reduction of irrigation in the production at the company Maanssons in Brande. Photo: Maanssons

Flowers has been sown between experimental plots in Årslev for attracting beneficial insects. Photo: AU-FOOD

Intercropping of white cabbage and beetroot using plant-based fertilizers in the SureVeg/ClimateVeg project at the Department of Food Science, AU, in Årslev. Photo AU-FOOD

A selection of Maansson's organic field-grown vegetables. Photo: Maanssons

Growing organic tomatoes at Økogaarden/Gartneriet Alfred Pedersen & Søn in Bellinge. Photo: Alfred Pedersen & Son

Compost made from waste from gardens and parks produced at Klintholm I / S is used for soil improvement in the field experiment in Årslev. Photo: AU-FOOD

News from the project

Artikel fra Åbent hus i Økogrøntsager, Gartner Tidende
Åbent hus i øko-grøntsager, friland og væksthus, Forsknngscenter Årslev, 27. aug. 2020. Se program her
I artiklen "Økologiske grøntsagers klimaaftryk skal forbedres" kan du læse mere om ClimateVeg og de relaterede projekter SureVeg og Greenresilient
I et LinkedIn-opslag fra 8. juli 2020 kan du læse nyt om igangværende markforsøg
I podcasten "Fra kotelet til kål" fortæller lektor Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen om sin forskning og sit samarbejde med planteavlere om at udvikle dyrkningsmetoder, der belaster miljø, klima og biodiversitet mindre, bl.a. om arbejdet i ClimateVeg
I et LinkedIn-opslag fra nov. 2020 kan du læse om ClimateVeg's markforsøg i Aarslev, hvor en maskine sætter "minirhizotroner" i jorden til rodundersøgelser i den nysåede vinterafgrøde (minirhizotroner er et system til at undersøge rødder i jorden, hvor et plexiglasrør nedsættes i jorden i en specifik vinkel i forhold til jordens overflade.