Biography

Competence:
  • Life Cycle Assessment - LCA
    • Dairy production
    • Sheep production
    • Feed and grain production
    • Macro-algae farming
    • Inclusion of machinery and buildings
    • introduction to use of LCA for students and pupils
  • FARMnor (Flow Analysis and Resource Management): maintenance and further development of the LCA-model
  • Evaluation of climate gasses using GWP, GWP* and GTP; usually on a 100-years horizon
  • Combination of LCA and econommic analysis
  • Organic production
  • Questionaires, qualitative and quantitative
  • Field trials; forage and grain: varieties, fertilizing and weed-control
Education:
  • Dr. agr. (Doctor of Agricultural Sciences) at the Faculty of Organic Agriculture of Kassel University, Germany (2017).
  • Diplom-Agraringenieur (corresponds to master of science) at the Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences of Kiel University, Germany (1993).
  • Certification as agronomist, Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (1986).

Member:

Member of EGTOP (Expert group for technical advice on organic production) for the EU-Commission under Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development.

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Abstract

To evaluate the environmental impact across multiple dairy farms cost-effectively, the methodological frame- work for environmental assessments may be redefined. This article aims to assess the ability of various statistical tools to predict impact assessment made from a Life Cyle Assessment (LCA). The different models predicted estimates of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, Energy (E) and Nitrogen (N) intensity. The functional unit in the study was defined as 2.78 MJMM human-edible energy from milk and meat. This amount is equivalent to the edible energy in one kg of energy-corrected milk but includes energy from milk and meat. The GHG emissions (GWP100) were calculated as kg CO2-eq per number of FU delivered, E intensity as fossil and renewable energy used divided by number of FU delivered, and N intensity as kg N imported and produced divided by kg N delivered in milk or meat (kg N/kg N). These predictions were based on 24 independent variables describing farm characteristics, management, use of external inputs, and dairy herd characteristics. All models were able to moderately estimate the results from the LCA calculations. However, their precision was low. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was best for predicting GHG emissions on the test dataset, (RMSE = 0.50, R2 = 0.86), followed by Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) (RMSE = 0.68, R2 = 0.74). For E intensity, the Supported Vector Machine (SVM) model was performing best, (RMSE = 0.68, R2 = 0.73), followed by ANN (RMSE = 0.55, R2 = 0.71,) and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) (RMSE = 0.55, R2 = 0.71). For N intensity predictions the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) (RMSE = 0.36, R2 = 0.89) and Lasso regression (RMSE = 0.36, R2 = 0.88), followed by the ANN (RMSE = 0.41, R2 = 0.86,). In this study, machine learning provided some benefits in prediction of GHG emission, over simpler models like Multiple Linear Regressions with backward selection. This benefit was limited for N and E intensity. The precision of predictions improved most when including the variables “fertiliser import nitrogen” (kg N/ha) and “proportion of milking cows” (number of dairy cows/number of all cattle) for predicting GHG emission across the different models. The inclusion of “fertiliser import nitrogen” was also important across the different models and prediction of E and N intensity.

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Abstract

The Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP) was requested to advise on the use of several substances with plant protection or fertilising effects in organic production. The Group discussed whether the use of these substances and methods is in line with the objectives and principles of organic production, and whether they should be included in Regulation (EU) 2021/1165.

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Abstract

The Expert Group for Technical Advice on Organic Production (EGTOP) was requested to advise on the use of several substances in organic production. The Group discussed whether the use of these substances is in line with the objectives and principles of organic production and whether they should therefore be included in Annex V of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1165.