Food and bioresources

Agriculture needs solutions that create development, ensure biodiversity and reduce the pressure on the climate and environment − while producing high-quality food

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of Denmark's total agricultural area is used to grow food directly for people

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of the area is used to grow fodder for livestock

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of the Danish greenhouse gas emissions come from the agricultural sector

Agriculture covers more than 60 percent of our land area, making Denmark the most intensively cultivated country in Europe. The agricultural sector accounts for approximately 1/3 of Danish greenhouse gas emissions, while emissions from agriculture, forestry, horticulture and fisheries are expected to account for 47 percent in 2030.

In addition to occupying large areas, Denmark's animal production is also dependent on a large import of artificial fertilizers and animal feed such as soy. In addition, current agricultural production emits greenhouse gases and nutrients far above the environmental tolerance limits. This creates major environmental problems, for example in the aquatic environment, where none of the Danish coastal water areas are in good ecological condition.

Our goal

We must have reversed that situation. Nature, environment and economy do not have to be opposites of each other, but can instead go hand in hand to create an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable agriculture. At the same time, biomass from agriculture, such as straw, grass and manure, can play an important role in the green transition if it is used correctly and if we plan our use of Denmark's limited area sensibly.

It is important that agriculture contributes to the fight to reduce Denmark's greenhouse gas emissions if we are to live up to our share of the Paris Agreement. In the Green Transition Denmark, we therefore work for more gentle cultivation methods, for more and more carbon to be stored in soil and biomass, and for ecology and the principles of organic farming to become mainstream throughout Danish agriculture. We must change consumption habits and diets in favor of more plant-based foods rather than meat, and the extent of current intensive animal production must be limited – both in light of the climate crisis and the planetary boundaries.

The path towards balanced agriculture

In the Green Transition Denmark, we seek opportunities for synergies and joint solutions with farmers, researchers, politicians and other stakeholders in Denmark and the EU.

The path towards a balanced agriculture requires innovation and ambitious regulation in Denmark. At the same time, the EU places the environment and climate high on the agenda and often sets overall goals and regulations that member states must comply with. That is why the Council for the Green Transition is involved in debate and policy development in the agricultural and food area both here at home and in Brussels. In this way, we help ensure that we take the right steps towards a more sustainable food system, the EU's objectives and the necessary reduction in Danish agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions of 55-65 percent by 2030.

The most important political measures

Green Transition Denmark believes that the Government should:

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1. Accelerate conversion of agricultural land – low-lying soils must be irrigated, river valleys should be extensively extensified, and conversion to forest and nature must be increased.
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2. Introduce a uniform climate tax of at least DKK 750/t CO2e for agricultural production – combined with a consumption tax on the most climate-damaging foods such as meat, cheese and butter.
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3. Work to ensure that agricultural support goes to a greater extent for nature, environment and climate purposes – including a phasing out of the direct hectare support towards 2034.
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4. Work towards the EU's agricultural sector becoming part of the EU's emissions trading system– so that reductions are ensured in the last large unregulated sector in the EU.
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5. Introduce a ceiling for the discharge of nitrogen into the aquatic environment – so that we stay within the water environment's tolerance limits and meet the water framework directive.
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6. Introduce a tax on imports of the nutrient phosphorus – which covers both the extensive import of feed (especially soya) and phosphorus artificial fertiliser.
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7. Introduce a tax on fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers – we must use less synthetic fertiliser, and the fertilizer that is used.
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8. Better support ecology and regenerative agriculture – for example via agricultural support, so that we phase out the use of pesticides, strengthen the soil's microbial life and climate robustness, store carbon better and reduce the release of nutrients.
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9. Let public kitchens take the lead in increasing demand for plant-based foods such as legumesr – For example, by introducing an overall CO2 reduction target for public procurement, which can contribute to reducing public kitchens' emissions.