Ecological intensification by integrating biogas production into nutrient cycling: Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis

Kari Koppelmäki; Tuure Parviainen; Elina Virkkunen; Erika Winquist; Rogier P.O. Schulte; Juha Helenius

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.007

Ecological intensification by integrating biogas production into nutrient cycling: Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis

Kari Koppelmäki^*
, Tuure Parviainen
, Elina Virkkunen
, Erika Winquist
, Rogier P.O. Schulte
, Juha Helenius

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at VTT

University of Helsinki
Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

55 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

There is growing demand to produce both food and renewable energy in a sustainable manner, while avoiding competition between food and energy production. In our study, we investigated the potential of harnessing biogas production into nutrient recycling in an integrated system of organic food production and food processing. We used the case of Agroecological Symbiosis (AES) at Palopuro, which is a combination of three farms, a biogas plant, and a bakery, as a case to explore how biogas production using feedstocks from the farms can be used to improve nutrient cycling, and to calculate how much energy could be produced from the within-system feedstocks. The current system (CS) used in organic farms, and the integrated farm and food processing AES system, were analyzed using Substance Flow analysis. In the AES, annual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surpluses were projected to be reduced from 95 kg ha⁻¹ to 36 kg ha⁻¹ and from 3.4 kg ha⁻¹ to −0.5 kg ha⁻¹ respectively, compared to the CS. Biogas produced from green manure leys as the major feedstock, produced 2809 MWh a⁻¹. This was 70% more than the energy consumed (1650 MWh a⁻¹) in the systemand thus the AES system turned out to be a net energy producer. Results demonstrated the potential of biogas production to enhance the transition to bioenergy, nutrient recycling, and crop productivity in renewable localized farming and food systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	39-48
Number of pages	10
Journal	Agricultural Systems
Volume	170
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.007
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2019
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

We would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment in Finland for funding the Palopuro AES project. The authors also wish to thank all the participants in the Palopuro AES project: especially Markus Eerola from Knehtilä Farm, Virva Latostenmaa from Mäntymäen luomu ltd, Peter Zukale from Samsara ltd, and Jukka Kivelä from the University of Helsinki. We are also grateful for two anonymous reviewers who gave their comments. This work received funding from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's Programme (RAKI2) to promote the recycling of nutrients and improve the ecological status of the Archipelago Sea [grant number YM52/481/2015 ]. Appendix A

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

Biological nitrogen fixation
Localized agrifood system
Nutrient losses
Organic farming
Renewable energy
Sustainable intensification

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10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.007

Cite this

@article{10aac3ea65014a40be0d03d65fc60039,

title = "Ecological intensification by integrating biogas production into nutrient cycling: Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis",

abstract = "There is growing demand to produce both food and renewable energy in a sustainable manner, while avoiding competition between food and energy production. In our study, we investigated the potential of harnessing biogas production into nutrient recycling in an integrated system of organic food production and food processing. We used the case of Agroecological Symbiosis (AES) at Palopuro, which is a combination of three farms, a biogas plant, and a bakery, as a case to explore how biogas production using feedstocks from the farms can be used to improve nutrient cycling, and to calculate how much energy could be produced from the within-system feedstocks. The current system (CS) used in organic farms, and the integrated farm and food processing AES system, were analyzed using Substance Flow analysis. In the AES, annual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surpluses were projected to be reduced from 95 kg ha−1 to 36 kg ha−1 and from 3.4 kg ha−1 to −0.5 kg ha−1 respectively, compared to the CS. Biogas produced from green manure leys as the major feedstock, produced 2809 MWh a−1. This was 70\% more than the energy consumed (1650 MWh a−1) in the systemand thus the AES system turned out to be a net energy producer. Results demonstrated the potential of biogas production to enhance the transition to bioenergy, nutrient recycling, and crop productivity in renewable localized farming and food systems.",

keywords = "Biological nitrogen fixation, Localized agrifood system, Nutrient losses, Organic farming, Renewable energy, Sustainable intensification",

author = "Kari Koppelm{\"a}ki and Tuure Parviainen and Elina Virkkunen and Erika Winquist and Schulte, \{Rogier P.O.\} and Juha Helenius",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment in Finland for funding the Palopuro AES project. The authors also wish to thank all the participants in the Palopuro AES project: especially Markus Eerola from Knehtil{\"a} Farm, Virva Latostenmaa from M{\"a}ntym{\"a}en luomu ltd, Peter Zukale from Samsara ltd, and Jukka Kivel{\"a} from the University of Helsinki. We are also grateful for two anonymous reviewers who gave their comments. Funding Information: This work received funding from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's Programme (RAKI2) to promote the recycling of nutrients and improve the ecological status of the Archipelago Sea [grant number YM52/481/2015 ]. Funding Information: We would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment in Finland for funding the Palopuro AES project. The authors also wish to thank all the participants in the Palopuro AES project: especially Markus Eerola from Knehtil{\"a} Farm, Virva Latostenmaa from M{\"a}ntym{\"a}en luomu ltd, Peter Zukale from Samsara ltd, and Jukka Kivel{\"a} from the University of Helsinki. We are also grateful for two anonymous reviewers who gave their comments.This work received funding from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's Programme (RAKI2) to promote the recycling of nutrients and improve the ecological status of the Archipelago Sea [grant number YM52/481/2015]. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2019",

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doi = "10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.007",

language = "English",

volume = "170",

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T2 - Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis

AU - Koppelmäki, Kari

AU - Parviainen, Tuure

AU - Virkkunen, Elina

AU - Winquist, Erika

AU - Schulte, Rogier P.O.

AU - Helenius, Juha

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment in Finland for funding the Palopuro AES project. The authors also wish to thank all the participants in the Palopuro AES project: especially Markus Eerola from Knehtilä Farm, Virva Latostenmaa from Mäntymäen luomu ltd, Peter Zukale from Samsara ltd, and Jukka Kivelä from the University of Helsinki. We are also grateful for two anonymous reviewers who gave their comments. Funding Information: This work received funding from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's Programme (RAKI2) to promote the recycling of nutrients and improve the ecological status of the Archipelago Sea [grant number YM52/481/2015 ]. Funding Information: We would like to thank the Ministry of the Environment in Finland for funding the Palopuro AES project. The authors also wish to thank all the participants in the Palopuro AES project: especially Markus Eerola from Knehtilä Farm, Virva Latostenmaa from Mäntymäen luomu ltd, Peter Zukale from Samsara ltd, and Jukka Kivelä from the University of Helsinki. We are also grateful for two anonymous reviewers who gave their comments.This work received funding from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's Programme (RAKI2) to promote the recycling of nutrients and improve the ecological status of the Archipelago Sea [grant number YM52/481/2015]. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2019/3/1

Y1 - 2019/3/1

N2 - There is growing demand to produce both food and renewable energy in a sustainable manner, while avoiding competition between food and energy production. In our study, we investigated the potential of harnessing biogas production into nutrient recycling in an integrated system of organic food production and food processing. We used the case of Agroecological Symbiosis (AES) at Palopuro, which is a combination of three farms, a biogas plant, and a bakery, as a case to explore how biogas production using feedstocks from the farms can be used to improve nutrient cycling, and to calculate how much energy could be produced from the within-system feedstocks. The current system (CS) used in organic farms, and the integrated farm and food processing AES system, were analyzed using Substance Flow analysis. In the AES, annual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surpluses were projected to be reduced from 95 kg ha−1 to 36 kg ha−1 and from 3.4 kg ha−1 to −0.5 kg ha−1 respectively, compared to the CS. Biogas produced from green manure leys as the major feedstock, produced 2809 MWh a−1. This was 70% more than the energy consumed (1650 MWh a−1) in the systemand thus the AES system turned out to be a net energy producer. Results demonstrated the potential of biogas production to enhance the transition to bioenergy, nutrient recycling, and crop productivity in renewable localized farming and food systems.

AB - There is growing demand to produce both food and renewable energy in a sustainable manner, while avoiding competition between food and energy production. In our study, we investigated the potential of harnessing biogas production into nutrient recycling in an integrated system of organic food production and food processing. We used the case of Agroecological Symbiosis (AES) at Palopuro, which is a combination of three farms, a biogas plant, and a bakery, as a case to explore how biogas production using feedstocks from the farms can be used to improve nutrient cycling, and to calculate how much energy could be produced from the within-system feedstocks. The current system (CS) used in organic farms, and the integrated farm and food processing AES system, were analyzed using Substance Flow analysis. In the AES, annual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surpluses were projected to be reduced from 95 kg ha−1 to 36 kg ha−1 and from 3.4 kg ha−1 to −0.5 kg ha−1 respectively, compared to the CS. Biogas produced from green manure leys as the major feedstock, produced 2809 MWh a−1. This was 70% more than the energy consumed (1650 MWh a−1) in the systemand thus the AES system turned out to be a net energy producer. Results demonstrated the potential of biogas production to enhance the transition to bioenergy, nutrient recycling, and crop productivity in renewable localized farming and food systems.

KW - Biological nitrogen fixation

KW - Localized agrifood system

KW - Nutrient losses

KW - Organic farming

KW - Renewable energy

KW - Sustainable intensification

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85059180145

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DO - 10.1016/j.agsy.2018.12.007

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85059180145

SN - 0308-521X

VL - 170

SP - 39

EP - 48

JO - Agricultural Systems

JF - Agricultural Systems

ER -

Ecological intensification by integrating biogas production into nutrient cycling: Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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