At the conference, three parallel sessions looked at the solutions that need to put in place to deliver Baltic friendly farming within the focus of consumption trends, production with reduced impact and nutrient losses and policy driven tools.
You can read a short brief for each session below or read more in the full summary report. Associated presentations to each session can be found in the right-hand column.
Session 1: Eating for the Baltic
One of today’s biggest challenges is the increasing consumption of meat. At the same time, the way meat is produced has also effects on the environment with implications on biodiversity, global warming and more importantly in the context of the conference – eutrophication. The workshop addressed the issue of how to raise the awareness of consumers in understanding the linkages between meat consumption and the consequence it has on the Baltic Sea concerning eutrophication. Furthermore, it focused on what different actors in the chain from field to plate, as individual consumer and business, can do to improve the status of the Baltic Sea by eating for the Baltic.
Session 2: Production with reduced impact and nutrient losses
Numerous measures have been undertaken in the Baltic Sea region to improve farming standards and ensuring Baltic friendly farming but all types of farming causes environmental impact. Nutrient runoff, changes in biodiversity and ecosystems and soil structure are some commonly known examples. Whatever the type of agricultural production system, there is a need to produce food for an increasing population with less impact on nature and ecosystems. Sustainable agricultural production needs to reduce the use of fossil fuels as well as N and P and other necessary resources while at the same time deliver products to the market and consumers meeting their needs and wishes. With this perspective there will most likely be a need for different production systems including both conventional and organic agriculture.
Session 3: Policy driven tools
There are a broad number of different policies implemented in the Baltic Sea region to foster an agriculture with less nutrient runoff. Some are already in place since some years and others were just recently introduced. The focus of the 'Policy driven tools' workshop was to discuss the effectiveness of these policies in order to improve the runoff reduction and to identify gaps in current policy schemes on how farmers in cooperation with the retailers and the consumers can contribute to the goal of a Bluer Baltic Sea.
Session 1: Eating for the Baltic
One of today’s biggest challenges is the increasing consumption of meat. At the same time, the way meat is produced has also effects on the environment with implications on biodiversity, global warming and more importantly in the context of the conference – eutrophication. The workshop addressed the issue of how to raise the awareness of consumers in understanding the linkages between meat consumption and the consequence it has on the Baltic Sea concerning eutrophication. Furthermore, it focused on what different actors in the chain from field to plate, as individual consumer and business, can do to improve the status of the Baltic Sea by eating for the Baltic.
Session 2: Production with reduced impact and nutrient losses
Numerous measures have been undertaken in the Baltic Sea region to improve farming standards and ensuring Baltic friendly farming but all types of farming causes environmental impact. Nutrient runoff, changes in biodiversity and ecosystems and soil structure are some commonly known examples. Whatever the type of agricultural production system, there is a need to produce food for an increasing population with less impact on nature and ecosystems. Sustainable agricultural production needs to reduce the use of fossil fuels as well as N and P and other necessary resources while at the same time deliver products to the market and consumers meeting their needs and wishes. With this perspective there will most likely be a need for different production systems including both conventional and organic agriculture.
Session 3: Policy driven tools
There are a broad number of different policies implemented in the Baltic Sea region to foster an agriculture with less nutrient runoff. Some are already in place since some years and others were just recently introduced. The focus of the 'Policy driven tools' workshop was to discuss the effectiveness of these policies in order to improve the runoff reduction and to identify gaps in current policy schemes on how farmers in cooperation with the retailers and the consumers can contribute to the goal of a Bluer Baltic Sea.
