Vaisala takes an active step in a new research consortium to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields
Vaisala
Press release
May 19, 2025
Vaisala takes an active step in a new research consortium to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields
A major new Finnish-led research initiative is developing innovative, science-based solutions to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural lands, paving the way for more climate-friendly farming and food production.
Led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the AGCLIMATE project brings together top research institutions and companies, including Vaisala, to address agriculture’s significant role in food system emissions. The aim is to create practical tools for the food industry to track and reduce emissions at the field level.
“In AGCLIMATE, scientific results are turned into practical solutions for everyday farming. Reliable data becomes usable for climate-friendly business and decision-making,” says Research Professor Jari Liski, Project Lead at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Four key objectives of AGCLIMATE:
- Develop climate-smart farming practices
- Build a real-time monitoring system for carbon balance and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions
- Integrate emissions data into farm- and product-level carbon footprint calculations
- Strengthen the business potential of low-emission food solutions
Vaisala brings world-leading carbon measurement expertise
With more than 25 years of experience in CO₂ monitoring, Vaisala is known globally for its high-quality technology that enables effective climate action.
“This project aligns perfectly with our goal of providing accurate measurement tools and data for understanding and reducing carbon emissions in the food industry,” says Fernando Trolia Slamic, Head of Vaisala’s New Climate Business.
“We are proud to cooperate and learn together with such a remarkable network of experts and key stakeholders, bringing our expertise to develop next-generation sensing technologies for agricultural and environmental monitoring.”
Hilkka Heiskari-Tuohiniemi, Head of Project Magement Office at New Climate Business adds:
“For us, the field testing of our prototypes in challenging environments against reference-grade research institutes’ instruments and hearing their wishes makes our mid-cost, high-precision, long-stability carbon dioxide probe development faster. Furthermore, we have innovative climate-smart companies in this consortium who can exploit our products in their offering and provide us with valuable feedback during the development phase.”
A collaborative effort with broad impact
The AGCLIMATE consortium includes leading research institutes and industry players across the agri-food value chain. Running from April 2025 to December 2027 and spanning three growing seasons, the project includes seven work packages covering cultivation practices, life cycle analysis, monitoring systems, and international validation. A Field Observatory system will make real-time measurement data openly accessible to stakeholders.
The results will improve the climate performance of food production and help companies prepare for future carbon regulations and market standards. The project is partly funded by Business Finland.
Project partners and roles:
- The Finnish Meteorological Institute – Project lead; develops carbon and N₂O monitoring systems using field measurements, modeling, and satellite data
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) – Focuses on life cycle analysis, research on N₂O reduction, soil carbon and root biomass measurement, and compiles best practices
- The University of Helsinki – Provides expertise on nitrogen-efficient farming and N₂O measurement through the Viikki research farm and SMEAR-Agri platform
- Valio – Connects field-level climate impacts with product-specific carbon footprints
- Hankkija – Focuses on climate-smart grass cultivation and forage optimization
- Datasense – Enhances its GHG Research Suite for integrated emissions research
- Cense Analytics – Develops and provides a comprehensive soil carbon measurement service.
- Vaisala – Develops next-generation sensors to improve carbon footprint monitoring and modelling
More information for the media
Panu Heikkinen
Senior Communications Specialist
Tel. +358 40 559 4175
Email: [email protected]
About Vaisala
Vaisala is a global leader in measurement instruments and intelligence for climate action. We equip our customers with devices and data to improve resource efficiency, drive energy transition, and care for the safety and well-being of people and societies worldwide. With almost 90 years of innovation and expertise, we employ a team of close to 2,500 experts committed to taking every measure for the planet. Vaisala series A shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.