AGCLIMATE project develops solutions to measure and reduce GHG emissions from agricultural lands
Valio is part of the AGCLIMATE project, funded by Business Finland, which develops science-based solutions to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields. The project creates new business opportunities for climate-friendly products and services.
Agriculture is responsible for a substantial share of greenhouse gas emissions in the food supply chain. AGCLIMATE aims to reduce these emissions by developing solutions to monitor the carbon balance and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions at the field level and integrate the results into farm- and product-specific carbon footprint calculations. The project’s innovations support climate-smart farming, increase transparency, and open new export opportunities for Finnish companies.
“Valio’s customers have a rapidly growing need for accurate information about sustainability and verified emission reductions from their suppliers in the value chain. The most significant part of Valio’s climate impact is generated on dairy farms, so farm-specific carbon footprint calculation and verification of emission reductions are a prerequisite for a new kind of sustainable business and the creation of export products,” says Development Manager Tuuli Hakala from Valio.
Carbon sequestration and soil emissions from fields have been studied in Finland for a long time. Valio’s dairy farms have been trained in regenerative farming for six years. Regenerative farming strengthens carbon sequestration in the soil, improves the condition of fields and helps adapting to different weather conditions.
”In the AGCLIMATEproject, Finnish research institutions combine their excellence and bring the results of soil and climate science to the needs of the business community in cooperation with a business consortium. In Valio’s own project linked to the AGCLIMATE project, the farm-specific carbon footprint calculation is combined with the field-specific carbon balance and the cultivation’s nitrous oxide emissions are specified. This way, we can consider the climate work done on Finnish fields in our own value chain and bring the emission reductions with the products to the customers,” Tuuli Hakala says.
The project is led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, with research partners Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and the University of Helsinki. Business partners with their own sub-projects include Valio, Hankkija, Vaisala, Datasense, and Cense Analytics. Atria, HKFoods and Lantmännen participate in the project steering group.
“In AGCLIMATE, scientific results are turned into practical solutions for everyday farming. Reliable data becomes usable for climate-friendly business and decision-making,” says project leader, Research Professor Jari Liski from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
AGCLIMATE is the largest individual project within Valio’s Food 2.0 programme. The Food 2.0 initiative is a broad research, development and innovation programme aimed at making Finland’s food system more sustainable, profitable, and export oriented.
The project supports Finnish companies in the climate transition
AGCLIMATE consists of seven work packages focusing on cultivation practices, monitoring systems, life cycle assessment, and international validation of results. The real-time Field Observatory system makes measurement results openly and transparently available to stakeholders. The project runs from April 2025 to December 2027 and spans three growing seasons.
AGCLIMATE improves the climate performance of Finland’s food system value chains and enhances export opportunities for companies. The results help domestic food, agriculture, and technology companies improve their climate impact assessments, meet market and regulatory requirements, and comply with certification and carbon market standards.
AGCLIMATE engages in broad international research collaboration and is linked to major EU projects and global research infrastructures. International partners serve as scientific references and strengthen the project’s global impact.