SuMaNu’s comprehensive info package promotes sustainable manure management

Why are nutrients ending up in the Baltic Sea instead of being recycled and reused in agriculture? How could the problem be solved, permanently? It’s complicated, but the SuMaNu project has, on its part, enabled knowledge-based action.

The problem has been analysed and solutions have been sought over the past decade in several pan-Baltic projects. To ensure that the results of the co-operation and the knowledge are put to use, SuMaNu analysed and synthesized them and developed policy recommendations. The information is now available to all.

The SuMaNu project, which focused on the responsible use and recycling of nutrients in agriculture, has now published all outputs on www.balticsumanu.eu. The project compiled and assessed research results and best practices in nutrient management, manure use, technologies and sustainable nutrient recycling.

This information and stakeholder discussions have been condensed into reports and policy recommendations relevant for all countries and the Baltic Sea region as a whole. One of SuMaNu’s project partners was HELCOM, which used the policy recommendations for HELCOM’s regional nutrient recycling strategy which is to be adopted this October by the Ministers of the Environment of the HELCOM contracting states. The SuMaNu website also offers practical information on nutrient recycling in the form of videos made by project partners.

At the final meeting of the SuMaNu project in June, inspiring examples were presented from the different partner countries. All materials from the final meeting can be found on the website. SuMaNu also aimed to bring nutrient recycling information to Russia and Ukraine, and some of the material has been translated into these languages. The recording of the final meeting with simultaneous interpretations in Russian can also be found . The reports and recommendations are also available in German on the website of the Julius-Kühn Institut.

The SuMaNu project was led by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and BSAG was responsible for the communication coordination and public affairs. Other project partners were RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden, Estonian Crop Research Institute, Latvian Farmers’ Parliament, Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinow in Poland, Julius-Kühn Institut in Germany and HELCOM.