“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred.” So, states the very first lines of the IPCC report on Climate Change 2021. The need for action and change is more imminent than ever. Since high production agriculture accounts for a large proportion of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, there is a need for developing new technologies and management systems. This needs a collective global effort to ensure speedy development and implementation of suitable, efficient and safe technologies. There is also a large need to support this development of technologies with efficient and verified monitoring systems to ensure reliability of the technologies being implemented.

In the early summer of 2021, researchers and industry met for a national workshop in Denmark, where the purpose was to present and discuss technologies, as well as form an overview of opportunities. This overview illustrates the many possibilities for achieving the target of climate neutrality of agricultural production, but also shows the immense challenge and complexity of this task. This discussion will be taken a major step forward with the international research conference on "Zero Emission Agriculture in High Productive Agriculture" on 22-24. February 2022.

Technologies will pave the way to a climate neutral high production agriculture

Researchers from all over the world are invited to take part in the conference in February of next year. Together we will create an extended overview of potential technologies for efficiently reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. We will focus on the efficiency to reduce emissions, economic viability as well as sustainability in regards to other aspects such as environment, biodiversity, animal welfare and human health.

New and innovative technologies are key, but also technologies that can be applied in a sensible, reliable, and safe way. For the technologies to be utilized, they need to be translated into technologies that the agricultural industry is willing to invest in. Therefore, this is a collective effort between research, industry and society, and the conference will stimulate discussions across these stakeholders.

Some of the promising greenhouse gas reducing technologies in play at the conference are:

• Low emission cattle systems
• Manure management
• New fertilization systems
• New cultivation systems
• Plant and livestock breeding
• Soil carbon storage

Keynote speakers from the USA, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and China, among others, will kick of debates within the conference's seven themes. In other words, there is ample opportunity to take part in the debate on which path agriculture should take in order to achieve climate neutrality. Therefore, the organizers also invite researchers from universities, research institutions, industry and others to submit an abstract by December 1, 2021.

Trends, existing and upcoming technologies

The hope for the international conference on 22-24. February 2022 is to create more transparency for agriculture when choosing the technologies for the future, that it will be easier for authorities to determine and create the right framework for the use of climate technologies, and not least that it will be economically attractive for companies to join the development of and investment in new technologies.

Interested researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts when registering for the conference. Registration and information about "Call for abstract" can be found here.

Help create the technologies for the climate-neutral agriculture of the future

At the Zero Greenhouse Gas Emission in High Productive Agriculture conference on 22-24. February 2022, you can take part in developing opportunities for future climate technologies.

At the conference, keynote speakers, researchers, organizations and other experts will point out issues and technological possibilities. You also have the opportunity to present a case, idea or similar at one of the planned poster sessions. All you need to do is submit an abstract before the deadline on 1 December 2021.

Registration is required

It is still possible to register for the conference, the deadline for registration is 20 December 2021.

Financial support for younger researchers

iClimate and the Novo Nordisk Foundation provide financial support to a number of young researchers (PhD students, postdocs, researchers and assistant professors up to seven years after their PhD dissertation). The grant is for travel (economy class) and accommodation, and they will be awarded on the basis of an evaluation of the abstracts submitted by the applicants, and will be based on the quality and content of abstracts, just as there will be a focus on getting all topics covered, as well as ensuring demographic diversity. 

Call for abstracts

Abstracts that present new concepts and ideas within the conference's seven themes are welcome. The deadline for submissions is 1 December 2022.