Closed Circuit Cultivation

Organisation: Raisio Plc

Time: 1/30/2011 – 9/30/2015

Description:

Raisio commits to launch the CCC (Closed Circuit Cultivation) concept in the raw material purchasing procedure for contract cultivation (purchasing grains and oilseeds and protein crops directly from farmers). ”What can be measured can be improved”. Tools in CCC are: 1. Ecoplus measures the ratio between the energy input (energy used in inputs to grow the crop) and the energy output (energy content of the crop) in the cultivation. 2. CarbonPlus measures carbon foot print of the cultivation. 3. WaterPlus measures water foot print of the cultivation. Grey waters and especially nutrient (nitrogen and phosohorus) emissions into water bodies are prioritized in the measurements. Raisio uses the above mentioned tools in its’ advisory service for contract farmers. ”Good crop is best environmental protection”. This means that inputs are utilized in form of the crop as efficiently as possible. Thus the output/input ratio is high.

In longer term circuit of the nutrients in the food chain will become closed; as closed as it can be in biological process.

Patent application for CCC was submitted in 2008 (then called Ympäristöindeksi’). Pilot scale testing of the method started after filing the patent application. After two years of piloting and developing of the method and tools we are now in the phase of wider launching the CCC as a practical method to reduce negative environmental impacts of the crop production.

Experiences and knowledge in the development of the CCC have been used already in the calculation of the carbon and water foot print of the consumer products.

Impact on the Baltic Sea will be premanent. Emissions ,especially nitrogen and phosphosrus emissions, from the crop cultivation will decrease.