Five solutions to a green transition of Danish agriculture with global impact
In the first weeks of the election campaign, the focus has, among other things, been on the number of meat-free days in the homes of the party leaders, and whether Danish farmers are climate heroes (in Danish) compared to other countries. These are not uninteresting questions, but the answers do not say enough about the parties’ ambitions and plans to promote the green transition of the food system.
Therefore, it is good that there has been a focus on climate taxes on agriculture recently, which all the parties in the red bloc as well as Venstre and Liberal Alliance have agreed to in principle, and that several parties have presented agricultural proposals or climate proposals with agricultural elements.
Here are five answers from CONCITO on some of the most important elements of the green transition of agriculture, which all parties should consider. Preferably before, but also after the election on November 1st, where concrete action must be stepped up.
1. The agriculture must deliver unprecedented greenhouse gas reductions in a very short time
The Agricultural Agreement from 2021 sets a very ambitious climate goal for the agricultural sector with a reduction target of between 55-65% reduction in greenhouse gases in 2030 compared to the level in 1990. However, it far from outlines the entire path to the goal.
The emissions from agricultural processes (In Danish) have been reduced by almost 20% since 1990 but have remained almost unchanged over the past 15 years. Therefore, the agriculture must deliver unprecedented greenhouse gas reductions within a very short period of time. This should be done in a way that not only improves the Danish climate account, but also contributes to reduce the pressure from the global food system on climate, environment and nature in a time where food demand is rapidly increasing.
Future climate action should therefore focus on maintaining a large Danish food production for export with as low emissions as possible and as high yields as possible in all production branches. Additionally, there should be a much stronger prioritization of the transition from animal to plant-based food production and consumption.
The agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions in the period 1990-2021, excl. LULUCF. Source: Statistics Denmark
2. Re-wetting of lowland soils must speed up
The re-wetting of lowland soils is a task of great urgency. Experiences from implemented re-wetting projects seems to indicate that a multi-pronged effort is needed to successfully achieve the goal of re-wetting 100,000 hectares. This means that it is necessary not only to focus on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also on improving biodiversity, access for the local population, hunting interests, renewable energy production opportunities and where necessary, nutrient removal through limited harvesting.
All of this requires not only a thorough mapping of the locations of organic soils but also a mapping of the characteristics of the area and the neighboring areas. Therefore, the mapping tasks should be of high priority. Next, it should be ensured that the already allocated money can be used for various types of re-wetting projects. Finally, a better solution for compensation of landowners where the organic soil is characterized as a paragraph 3 area, where there is currently no compensation option, must soon be found.
3. Climate taxes must promote efficient and cost-effective greenhouse gas reductions
Clear economic incentives must be created for greenhouse gas reductions in agriculture. This can be done by targeting a larger share of agricultural subsidies to climate improvements. But a climate tax that promotes green innovation (In Danish) and the adoption of climate-friendly technologies and production methods are also needed.
With a tax in place, Denmark could become a "laboratory" for the development of new greenhouse gas-reducing technologies and cultivation systems, as envisioned by many, including those in the agricultural sector. To avoid significant negative economic consequences of a tax on greenhouse gases, it should be announced soon and phased in over an extended period of time.
While waiting for sufficiently accurate climate accounting on farm level, we can advantageously select four significant emission items from the agricultural sector for taxation, for which we have relatively good activity data: 1) cattle, 2) nitrogen input to the fields, 3) organic soils, and 4) livestock manure. At the same time, we must continuously define measures that can reduce the tax on these emission items. Together, this will help make it worth for the farmers to implement measures on the existing production or change to completely new production branches.
4. Development of alternative proteins must be prioritized
Development and production of plant-based and cellular alternatives to traditional meat and dairy products can be a significant contribution to the global food transition, as well as a new export success for the Danish food cluster. And it needs to be scaled up.
Alternative proteins include plant-based proteins, fermented proteins, and proteins produced via cellular agriculture. Large-scale production of alternative proteins can create an international market for Danish plant-based high-value products while reducing the need for production of traditional animal-based products. There should especially be a focus on replacing red meat and dairy products, which are the products with the highest climate impact.
To succeed, the alternative proteins must be nutritious, tasty, and competitive. Therefore, political efforts should be made to both support the production and increase the demand. The production should be supported through strategic research efforts, better economic framework conditions for alternative proteins, improved regulatory framework conditions in the form of faster approval of novel foods in EU, and adapted market structures.
Instruments supporting an increased demand can, for example, be information and marketing campaigns as well as requirements for public procurement. In addition, it is crucial that the food industry invests in the value chains for alternative proteins, which can support the creation of value and new jobs in this production branch.
5. Public kitchens must take the lead in promoting climate-friendly diets
A shift in food demand towards more plant-based food is an important prerequisite for the viability of switching from animal to plant-based production in agriculture and the food industry. It was therefore an important step forward when climate considerations were included in the official dietary guidelines in the beginning of 2021.
According to calculations from the Danish Council on Climate Change, the climate impact of Danes’ food consumption could be reduced by up to 45% if all Danes followed the advice to eat a much more plant-based diet. According to a study from the University of Copenhagen, it can also provide a health economic benefit of up to DKK 38 billion annually.
Now, almost two years after the launch, it is clear that good advice and campaigns alone are not enough. Before the inflation hit this year, there were no signs of significant reductions in Danes' consumption of meat and dairy products, and according to CONCITO's Climate Barometer 2022, interest in a more plant-rich diet among the general population is apparently still limited.
The upcoming parliament should therefore contribute to strengthening the framework so that the most climate-friendly and healthy food choices become the easiest, cheapest and most delicious ones. At the moment, inflation is putting a strong damper on Danes' consumption of meat and dairy products, which confirms that a clear green price signal will be an effective tool when it is deemed appropriate again.
In addition, efforts should be made to ensure that a reduced consumption of spaghetti bolognese (In Danish) continues and becomes a dish the Danes choose out of desire rather than necessity. This can be promoted, for example, by making healthy and delicious plant-rich food a central theme in the food service sector's education and skills development and by requiring climate reductions in public kitchens of at least 30% by 2030, so that they can become a showcase and a source of inspiration for tasty and climate-friendly food.
