PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The focus of the project is to emphasise the benefits of reducing GHG emissions from existing market products in the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector by replacing them with products from grassland biomass (such as grass, straw, sedge or reeds) which currently have low economic but high CO2 accumulation value.
The overall aim of the LIFE UpcyclingGrass project is to develop, test and demonstrate a variety of innovative technological approaches for climate-smart management of grasslands and the circular use of grassland biomass, combined with a business model and pathways for sustainable and economically competitive products for agricultural, horticultural and forestry use.
The general objectives of the project are to:
Replace existing products made from non-renewable resources (e.g. peat), which are associated with high life-cycle emission levels.
Assess the impacts of the circular grassland management approach introduced in the project on climate change mitigation targets, biodiversity and local economies.
Create an incentive-based mechanism to encourage individual actors to apply climate-smart agriculture practices and promote their integration into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027.
Climate change is a globally urgent issue requiring both universal and context-specific efforts for mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The land sector has an important role to play in achieving the EU’s ambitious climate mitigation goals. It can contribute by decreasing its emissions, increasing its capacity to store and sequester carbon, and by providing other sectors with renewable and circular bio-based materials that are less GHG-intensive than fossil-based ones.
Under current EU LULUCF legislation, Member States must ensure that accounted GHG emissions from the LULUCF sector are balanced by at least an equivalent accounted removal of CO2 from the atmosphere through action in the sector. This is known as the ‘no debit’ rule, it contributes to reaching long-term climate mitigation objectives. The new rules provide a framework to incentivise more climate-friendly land use by supporting the development of climate-smart agriculture practices and promoting greater visibility for the climate benefits of products which can store carbon sequestered from the atmosphere and replace emission-intensive materials.
Forecasts show that emissions from the agricultural sector in Latvia will increase in the future. When developing the National Climate Strategy, Latvia estimated that emissions in 2050 could increase by up to 15% compared to 2017. In addition, the European report on the achievement of climate goals states that by 2030, Latvia could increase its emissions in the agricultural sector by 55% compared to 2005; this is based on emission trends in the agriculture sector between 2005 and 2019 increasing by more than 10%. EU climate targets require emissions from the agriculture sector to be cut by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005, thus making agriculture the most challenging sector for reducing non-CO2 emissions.
OBJECTIVES
Implementation of carbon capture and manufacture (CCM) measures in the agriculture sector to reduce GHG emissions in Latvia thus contributing to the specific objectives of LIFE Climate Action. During project implementation 2023-2028, the amount of CO2 emissions reduced by the project reaches at least 574,423 t/CO2eq/yr⁻¹.
Sustainable management of remote grasslands with low economic but high nature value, leading to re-integration of the abandoned grasslands into the production cycle and tapping into the major source of biomass for production of agricultural products (at least 1,000 ha of remote grasslands in Latvia).
Reducing the risks caused by climate change in the agricultural sector, as well as the negative environmental impacts of the agriculture sector. The project will achieve this by integrating adopted and scientifically proven technologies and business models for cascading the use of grass (hay), based on using abandoned grasslands of high nature but low economic value and keeping their nature value in the process. At the same time, increasing its capacity to store and sequester carbon and providing other sectors with renewable and circular bio-based materials.
Reducing the adverse impacts of the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sectors on the climate and quality of environment by replacing existing products made from non-renewable resources (such as peat) responsible for high life-cycle emissions levels, in an economically efficient way and without limiting the development of the national economy and without negative effect on international competitiveness. To develop and market new products from hay that can be produced locally. To produce the following products during and after the project implementation: (1) seedling substrate with grassland biomass; (2) fertilisers for soil improvement for agricultural use; and (3) fodder with direct-fed microbials for livestock farmers, diary and meat farms.
Development of proposals for integrating CCM-based land and soil management measures into policy planning documents to promote cooperation and networking opportunities under the CAP on a legal and practical recommendation level, thus fostering climate-friendly land management practices with additional rewards for relevant adaptation or biodiversity co-benefits, while ensuring the protection of carbon-rich soils and promoting carbon sequestration in mineral soils.
Development of direct financial and non-financial incentives and support schemes for adopting climate-friendly practices and promoting land-based mitigation action at the level of individual actors in the land sectors, thus encouraging farmers and foresters to act towards EU climate neutrality objectives in the AFOLU sector.
Testing innovative monitoring methods for comprehensively assessing GHG emissions originating from grasslands, thus helping to identify, verify and demonstrate the effect of innovative CCM technologies, methods and instruments suitable for replication and transfer to the management of grasslands in the Baltic Sea region and the wider EU, thus ensuring the verification, uptake, replication and transferability of the results achieved under LIFE Climate Action programme, and the upscaling of the results from earlier LIFE projects.
Supporting investments in bioeconomy innovations and new, biomass-based product development; expansion and increase of efficiency of production; creation of new companies; infrastructure development; and branding and marketing activities, thus contributing to the goals of the Latvian bioeconomy strategy (i.e. to increase efficiency of land and soil use and management by contributing to an increase in added value through more efficient use of grasslands that are currently maintained in good agricultural condition but are not used for high-quality natural production).
Fostering partnerships among various stakeholder groups and key enablers to support wider uptake of climate-smart land and soil management practices in agriculture, and providing tools to encourage their collaboration and engagement.
Carrying out innovative dissemination, awareness-raising and training activities to improve the knowledge base among stakeholders for the development, assessment, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of effective CCM measures for circular and climate-smart management practices for grasslands, and to enhance the capacity of national and local authorities to apply the knowledge in practice.
RESULTS
The project will deliver the following main results:
Sustainable and climate-smart grassland management practices implemented on farmlands, thus increasing the efficiency of land and soil use and management to reduce GHG emissions.
CO2 emission reductions by replacing non-renewable feedstocks with biomass from biologically valuable grasslands and implementing more efficient production technologies will reach 115,000 t/CO2eq/yr in the LULUCF, industry and energy sectors (thus specifically increasing the amount of captured and stored carbon by replacing peat with grassland biomass).
More accurate assessment of the CCM effects of implementing soil and land management measures, using a developed and tested methodology to contribute to country-scale GHG emission accounting and estimates.
Reduced fertiliser use on agricultural lands and nutrient loss from fertiliser use.
Increased production rate on currently unused agriculture land areas through more efficient use.
At least four new products made from pelletised and comminuted biomass as feedstocks for fertilisers and husbandry food additives developed, tested and put on local and international markets: (1) seedling substrate with grassland biomass; (2) quick fertiliser from grassland biomass pellets; (3) fertiliser made from farm animal bedding litter; and (4) fodder with direct-fed microbials for livestock farmers, dairy and meat farms.
Collaborative participation and engagement of stakeholders in the whole production cycle established and promoted.
Proposal for support of climate-smart management of grasslands elaborated and presented to the stakeholders as a direct incentivising mechanism.
Recommendations for results-based support mechanisms developed, and institutional dialogue promoted, for the adoption of climate-smart land management practices at policy level.
