Lantmännen's work with sustainable plant protection is based on meeting requirements for the least possible environmental impact and risks to health and food safety, and at the same time providing our farmers with the conditions for good profitability and yield.

Plant protection is about protecting crops from diseases, pests and competition from weeds. Plant protection is not only chemical pesticides but also work with crop rotation, forecasting, variety selection, and mechanical and biological methods.

Every year, about 700 tonnes of chemical plant protection products are used in Swedish agriculture, corresponding to about 0.7 kg per hectare*. Their use can cause leakage of persistent substances into waterways and affect biodiversity. The handling of chemicals can also entail direct health risks for the farmer on the farm.

*Source: Swedish Chemicals Agency 2022

What does Lantmännen do?

Lantmännen is a major player in the Swedish market in the sale of both plant protection products and seeds. Contributing to the development of sustainable methods for plant protection is a natural part of our responsibility from field to fork.

Lantmännen's work with sustainable plant protection is based on meeting requirements for the least possible environmental impact and risks to health and food safety, and at the same time providing our farmers with the conditions for good profitability and yield.

Lantmännen has its own successful plant breeding, where we develop new varieties of our agricultural crops, such as wheat, barley and oats, and produce seeds that are well adapted to the growing conditions on our customers' farms. We invest SEK 250-300 million per year in research and development, where the development of cereal varieties, crop production and biological plant protection are important areas. We also offer advisory services to farmers on, for example, variety selection and crop rotation. 

Biological or thermal plant protection alternatives to chemicals

As an alternative to chemical treatment of seeds, the seeds can be treated biologically or thermally (with heat), to give increased resistance to pests. Biological treatment of our seed is done with the help of natural microorganisms (Cedomon and Cerall), heat treatment with the Thermoseed method.

In 2024, 33.7 percent of the seed from Lantmännen was thermally treated. Lantmännen's goal is to continue to develop the biological and thermal treatment of seeds in order to reduce the use of chemicals.

Read more about seed treatment without chemicals

Plant health policy

Lantmännen's plant protection policy includes guidelines for the choice of plant protection, the use and management of chemical plant protection products to minimize risks and negative effects on health and the environment. Read more about the plant protection policy here.