ProFur makes a Baltic Sea Commitment to enhance recycling nutrients from fur farming

ProFur, the Finnish organization for fur farmers, has made a commitment to the Baltic Sea Action Group. The commitment aims to develop methods to recover phosphorus from fur animals’ manure, and to market it to industries where phosphorus is needed. Additionally, the commitment will seek ways to recover nitrogen more efficiently in order to prevent it from leaking to the environment.

Fur animals’ manure is rich in phosphorus. ProFur has already improved on existing treatment technologies for manure, as well as financed and launched research projects in collaboration with research facilities. Through the new commitment fur industry will join the Baltic Sea’s other benefactors.

The commitment will be reflected in fur industry in many ways. The approximately 20 Finnish companies dealing with composting of fur animals’ manure will have their operations standardized and developed further to recover nutrients more efficiently. Between years 2018-2020 fur farmers will receive training on mitigating fur production’s environmental impacts associated with nutrients, as well as on the protection of the Baltic Sea, water systems and the climate.

The commitment also includes a project aiming to mitigate fur farms’ emissions and to increase the value of manure by productizing its nutrients, as well as a project that researches the adding of zeolite to fur animals’ fodder as means to recapture nitrogen from the manure.

“This commitment is a significant step for the entire fur industry. Our goal is to move towards practical operating models that are both financially profitable, and have a positive effect on the Baltic Sea”, says ProFur’s research director Jussi Peura.