Gofore and BSAG join forces – regenerative agriculture boosted by digitalisation

Gofore Plc and the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) have begun three years of cooperation aimed at harnessing digitalisation to develop solutions based on regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture, which sequestrates carbons, has major potential to mitigate climate change.

Gofore has made a commitment to the Baltic Sea, contributing its efforts and expertise in data-enabled technologies to help achieve BSAG’s objectives. A particular aim is to expedite work done via the Carbon Action platform to intensify soil carbon sequestration and reduce water pollution. Gofore’s Baltic Sea commitment is valid from 2020 to 2022.

“The potential of digitalisation should be much more extensively harnessed in meeting the challenges of sustainable development. At Gofore, we want to be a pioneer in this”, says Kristiina Härkönen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Gofore.

“Modern ways of collecting, processing and presenting data could improve the scalability of the methods developed in the Carbon Action project. This will make the benefits of regenerative agriculture, which are still mainly hidden, clear to all parties. In addition, we can use various service design methods to help people grasp the big picture”, Härkönen explains.

Gofore will also participate in Carbon Action corporate collaboration as part of its Baltic Sea commitment. Its operating principle is cooperation that enlists the efforts of all participants, involving the sharing of research findings, development of carbon farming, and making the food system more climate-friendly. Gofore’s expertise in designing and developing soil carbon sequestration data and data-enabled technologies is invaluable for the platform.

“There is a lot of data in the food system, and more data is being continuously generated through activities such as research. Many actors, from farmers and public authorities to businesses and consumers, need such data to improve their activities, but it is often dispersed between systems. Gofore can use its expertise in digitalisation and service design to help organise data, making it both readily available and understandable to users”, says Michaela Ramm-Schmidt, Managing Director of BSAG.

Kristiina Härkönen is delighted that Gofore is part of the Carbon Action network.

“The methods developed by the network not only give hope in the fight against climate change, but also promote the preservation of biodiversity, protection of waterways, and sustainable food production. It’s fascinating to see how many areas of expertise Carbon Action brings together. This is an opportunity to develop our understanding of how to solve systemic challenges through network-like activities. It will also provide our employees with an opportunity to contribute to important sustainable development activities”, says Kristiina Härkönen.

In addition to expert assistance and cooperation between businesses, Gofore is committed to providing separately defined, annual funding in support of BSAG’s activities.

Gofore Plc is a digitalisation specialist which aims at international growth. We have over 700 leading experts — who are the heart, brains and hands of our company — located in Finland, Germany, Spain and Estonia. Everything we do, whether it is management consulting, design or coding, has a positive impact. We care about people, communities and organisations in our work. Our operations are guided by our strong values: we provide all our staff with a good workplace and thrive on the success of our customers. We had net sales of EUR 64.1 million in 2019. Gofore Plc’s share is quoted on the Nasdaq First North Growth Finland marketplace. Find out more about us at https://gofore.com/en/.

The Baltic Sea Action Group (Elävä Itämeri säätiö) is a non-profit foundation founded in Finland in 2008. BSAG aims to restore the ecological balance of the Baltic Sea in the face of climate change. The extensive Carbon Action platform assembled by BSAG is seeking ways of accelerating carbon sequestration from the atmosphere into arable land, and of scientifically verifying such sequestration. Carbon farming is a way of managing soil and safeguarding sustainable food production. Carbon Action brings scientists, farmers and companies together to promote carbon sequestration and holistic farming. Healthy soil binds carbon and effectively retains water, solids and nutrients, reducing nutrient run-off into the Baltic Sea and other waterways.