17 March 2025, Sweden: For a decade, Lantmännen has run the Climate & Nature cultivation programme, which has paved the way for progress in sustainable food production. Among many things, the programme has enabled a fossil-free food value chain on a large scale. In addition to Lantmännen’s own brands – AXA, Kungsörnen, Korvbrödsbagarn, Hatting, Bonjour and KRAFFT– several major brands have joined the programme as partners. Today, 10 percent of grain is grown for human consumption in Sweden according to Climate & Nature’s criteria, and the program has also expanded in the Nordic region.
In 2015, Lantmännen, which is owned by 17,000 active farmers, launched the Climate & Nature cultivation programme with concrete measures to strengthen biodiversity and reduce climate impact. The cultivation program is part of Lantmännen’s vision Farming for the Future, with the goal of creating productive, profitable and climate-neutral agriculture by 2050. Through contract farming, Lantmännen ensures sales for the harvest, while the farmer is compensated for the efforts included in the programme, such as fossil-free mineral fertiliser, fossil-free transport and fuel, fossil-free drying and biodiversity measures such as flowering zones and larch plots. The cultivation programme has reduced the climate footprint by up to 45 per cent compared to 2015 when the cultivation programme started. Today, the cultivation includes wheat, barley, rye and oats.
“Over the past decade, we have achieved cultivation with up to 45 percent less climate impact through Climate & Nature, and we are at the forefront of the development of a fossil-free food value chain. A crucial success factor is that customers and consumers value the sustainable transition and are willing to pay the additional costs that currently entail to produce more sustainably. In a time of uncertainty, I am proud that Lantmännen continues to drive the development towards sustainable and productive agriculture, which strengthens both Swedish farmers and the food supply”, says Magnus Kagevik, President and CEO, Lantmännen.
Over the years, the program has reached several milestones, one of the most crucial of which was the introduction of fossil-free fertilizer as a criterion in 2024. By also phasing out fossil fuels in transport, farm operations and production, Lantmännen has achieved a large-scale fossil-free food value chain by 2025, where Lantmännen is one of the world leaders. Approximately 10 percent of all grain for human consumption in Sweden has been converted to cultivation according to the program’s criteria. In addition to Lantmännen’s own brands AXA, Kungsörnen, Korvbrödsbagarn, Hatting, Bonjour and KRAFFT, several external partners have joined over the years, including Polarbröd, Paulig, Spendrups, Stjärnägg and most recently Coop.
“It’s inspiring to look back at everything we’ve accomplished over the past decade. I am glad to see the broad support that the program has received and for all the partners who have joined. I am proud that together we have created a commercially viable model that makes the transition to fossil-free possible from field to fork. I look forward with great anticipation to the development of the programme in the coming years – both in terms of the programme’s criteria and the volume produced”, says Claes Johansson, Head of Sustainability, Lantmännen
In 2021, Climate & Nature in Finland was launched with the aim of reducing the climate footprint of Finnish rye by 15 per cent. In 2025, the programme’s expansion to Denmark will continue, further strengthening the programme’s Nordic presence.
“For many years, Kungsörnen wheat flour and AXA rolled oats have been a part of Climate & Nature programme. Celebrating the program’s 10th anniversary gives us a chance to reflect on the significant strides we’ve made on our sustainability journey. In Sweden, we have successfully converted our largest product categories flour and oatmeal in the consumer business. We collaborate long-term with external partners, where Polarbröd has been involved from the beginning and Coop has been the latest addition. At the same time, the program has expanded over the years and the growing Nordic interest is clear proof that the program makes a difference”, says Thomas Isaksson, Managing Director Lantmännen Cerealia.
What does Lantmännen mean by fossil-free energy?
Lantmännen has analysed emissions from the food value chain and gradually introduced alternatives to fossil energy. The largest uses of fossil energy can now be replaced with fossil-free alternatives. Approximately 6 percent of fossil energy use remains in the entire value chain from field to fork. The last share is the sum of a number of smaller flows that are currently difficult to access, such as energy use in the production of lime, plant protection products and certain packaging.
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