UDDEVALLA, SWEDEN — Agricultural cooperative Lantmännen and consumer cooperative Coop, both based in Sweden, are collaborating on sustainable oats cultivation through Lantmännen’s Climate & Nature program.
The Coop product Coop Havregryn will be produced in accordance with the criteria found in Climate & Nature, which is Lantmännen's cultivation program for Farming of the Future and a leading initiative for reducing climate impact and increasing biodiversity.
The collaboration enables more farmers to transition to sustainable farming methods, while also making more oats with a lower climate footprint available to consumers, Lantmännen said in its Jan. 15 announcement.
“It is very gratifying that even more oats can now be cultivated using sustainable methods in line with Climate & Nature,” said Claes Johansson, head of sustainability at Lantmännen. “By collaborating, we take responsibility of achieving shared climate goals. The combination of our companies' scale and the strength of our thousands of members across the country represents an important step toward real change.”
Climate & Nature includes concrete measures to reduce climate impact and promote biodiversity, Lantmännen said. Through contract farming, the program guarantees farmers a market for their crops while compensating them for specific measures on their farms, such as using fossil-free fertilizers, precision farming and creating flowering zones.
With grain at the center of its operations, Lantmännen is Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products. Since its launch in 2015, the program has contributed to reducing the climate footprint by up to 45% and now encompasses wheat, barley, rye, and oats, according to Lantmännen.
Oats covered by the Climate & Nature program will be incorporated into Coop’s oatmeal product and are expected to be available on its grocery store shelves in February.
“Every step toward more sustainable choices in Coop’s stores is important,” said Sofia Strandberg, acting head of sustainability at Coop Sweden. “Taking such a step with these more sustainably cultivated oats together with a fellow cooperative is particularly exciting. The development aligns with both strategic decisions and external commitments, such as our member pledge for more sustainable choices.”