Sustainability at AGRO
We are very pleased to have a sustainability committee at our institute. We now have a group that will now start working. We can turn to this committee with input about sustainable development at our different locations. It will definitely be good and it is with the utmost respect for this committee that I write this leader.
The desire for sustainable development is indisputable. There is virtually no research program without it focusing on sustainability and green transformation. We have to focus on this, and we want to. But can we do even better than we what we already do? Can we explicitly project our units towards greater sustainability, so that we strategically integrate everything we do into a context of sustainability? Maybe.
Operation at AU is a complicated matter, but I will allow myself to think freely. A quick look around shows how i.a. companies and housing associations with large financial support are actively working to increase the sustainability of their units. We can do the same and more because we are a research institution that utilizes and develops the latest technology. We already have some of the research projects, but if we integrate them with upgraded innovative technology, we can go even further. As in other sections, we at CBG spend an incredible number of resources on maintaining and improving our equipment.
Research center Flakkebjerg will be 25 years old in 2022 and much of the equipment is worn. Last year, the section spent around DKK 370,000 on replacing light sources in our greenhouses and climate chambers. The old equipment was worn out and the new equipment has given us lower consumption per unit and better light composition. But we can also grow the plants much faster, up to 6 generations of barley and wheat per year. This significantly increases our research speed. This is a simple example, which we solved this time with external funds, but there are many more that are waiting.
It would be ideal if people driving past our centers would be able to see that we are on the forefront of green and sustainable development. Our facilities do not signal green transition and sustainability yet, so please bring your ideas to the committee. A more sustainable department and research environment could potentially help recruit more students. And who knows maybe we could end up being the good example for others