Arranged by KSLA and IVA, the seminar brought together experts, decision-makers and business representatives to discuss Sweden's opportunities to reduce dependence on imported mineral fertilizers and Russian gas and strengthen domestic production.
Patrik Myrelid, Head of Strategy at Lantmännen, moderated the talks and led the discussions on the challenges and opportunities that exist for Sweden's plant nutrient supply. He asked questions about how the country could ensure access to fertilizer in both the short and long term, and how sustainable innovations could strengthen the future of agriculture.
"At the seminar, it was noted that the supply of plant nutrients, and thus the food supply, is challenged by both climate change and geopolitics. Without mineral fertilizer, we only get half as large a harvest, but at the same time, mineral fertilizer accounts for 30 percent of the food's climate impact, as production today takes place using natural gas," says Patrik Myrelid, Head of Strategy at Lantmännen.
"At the same time, the EU imports almost a third of its needs from Russia. In addition, Sweden stands out by being one of the few countries in Europe without mineral fertilizer production. In other words, both as a nation and as actors in the food chain, we have a challenge to meet and manage, which we highlighted at the seminar," says Patrik.
Per Arfvidsson, Deputy CEO of Lantmännen, gave an overview of the global and Swedish fertilizer market. He described how the availability of plant nutrients was affected by international factors, including the ongoing discussion on the EU's possible change in customs policy towards Russia. Per also emphasized the importance of Sweden investing in domestic production to reduce vulnerability and ensure long-term supply capacity.
"It is absolutely existential for food supply and preparedness that Sweden creates the conditions to enable investments in domestic production of green mineral fertilizers. These projects create stronger preparedness and a sustainable, green transition – but will take time to develop and realize. Until then, political decisions and accelerated work to create emergency storage should be of the absolute highest priority," says Per Arfvidsson, Deputy CEO of Lantmännen.
The seminar also included presentations of Swedish initiatives in green plant nutrition, where Power2Earth, LKAB and NitroCapt presented their projects in nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus production. Betty Malmberg from the National Committee for Food Research summarized the research situation, and the seminar was concluded by Bengt-Olov Gunnarson, Chairman of KSLA's Agriculture Department.
For more information, please contact:
Lantmännen's Press Office
Tel: +46 10 556 88 00
E-mail: press@lantmannen.com