Posted on November, 26 2009

Eutrophication, identified as the single most important threat to the health of the Baltic Sea, cannot be stopped without the active engagement of farmers. Agricultural runoff is the main cause of eutrophication. A major solution to the problem is to be found in the promotion of more sustainable farming and land management practices. The WWF Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award competition highlights the important role that farmers play in protecting the Baltic Sea and illustrates impressive examples of how farmers are taking innovative approaches and moving towards a more Baltic-friendly farming.

The annual competition was first launched in 2009. The award for the first competition of its kind went to Ms. Katariina Vapola and Mr. Jyrki Ankelo from Finland “for their strong and long commitment to environmental protection; for the high number of innovative measures to reduce nutrient runoff that have been implemented on their farm; and for the jury’s belief that most of these measures could easily be replicated and duplicated by other farmers around the Baltic Sea”.