The City of Vantaa – A Pioneer Among Cities in Regenerative Farming

Vantaa Sows Change

As the first city to give Baltic Sea commitment, Vantaa commits to promoting regenerative agriculture and its multiple benefits on the fields it owns and leases. The commitment’s other focus point is developing a municipal Carbon Action concept in collaboration with BSAG.

Sustainable Farming and Cultural Landscape

In Vantaa, there are almost 4,000 hectares of fields, of which almost 800 hectares are owned by the city. Out of this amount, roughly half is managed by the city’s farms. Vantaa maintains a managed cultural landscape and enriches the urban area with efficient but environmentally friendly operations. The farming plan is based on crop rotation, a living vegetation cover for as long as possible, and flowering crops that enliven the landscape.

The City’s Fields as a Platform for Research and Experiments

The city’s farms also experiment with new farming and landscape management methods. A few cultivation experiments are carried out annually in the fields in cooperation with various organisations. The experiments aim to find new, more environmentally friendly farming methods and practices. The Carbon Action municipal concept will bring new experimentation and research objects to the city’s fields. 

As a part of the commitment, Vantaa is participating in the Carbon Action’s Biodiversity Solutions in Agriculture project by providing four field parcels for research during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons. This project generates information on the effects of agriculture on nature in northern farming conditions. In addition to diversity lanes, the study focuses on the role of catch crops in enhancing biodiversity. 

Vantaa Is Promoting the Message of Regenerative Farming

Vantaa promotes regenerative farming on their own and leased fields. The city will provide regenerative agriculture training for farmers renting the city’s fields. The Environment Centre of Vantaa coordinates the training in cooperation with BSAG. Additionally, Vantaa promotes Carbon Action and regenerative agriculture in its networks and sets an example for other municipalities.