Denmark doesn't have to choose between more vegetables and cleaner waterways
Denmark is producing less fruit and vegetables while imports continue to rise. But research suggests that innovative cropping systems can reduce nitrogen losses and climate impacts without compromising yields. At the same time, Danish-grown produce could compete on something imported products often cannot: quality, transparency and diversity.
Rows of Danish cauliflowers sit alongside Spanish ones at the groceries. Apples arrive from Italy, blueberries from Poland and cucumbers from the Netherlands - even at the height of the Danish growing season.
Over the past decade, Danish fruit and vegetable production has declined by almost 20 percent. Today, Denmark produces just 26 percent of the vegetables and only 9 percent of the fruit sold on the domestic market. Sixty years ago, those figures stood at 92 and 54 percent, respectively.
The trend has fuelled debate about consumer behaviour, international competition and agricultural policy. But according to Professor Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen from the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University, one important perspective is still missing.
"Much of the discussion focuses on how to save Danish fruit and vegetable production. We spend far less time talking about how research can make it both more sustainable and more attractive. We have enormous potential to develop cultivation systems that deliver higher-quality produce while reducing environmental impacts," she says.
Research points to practical solutions
From 2027, Denmark will introduce new nitrogen regulations aimed at protecting the aquatic environment. The proposed rules have raised concerns among vegetable growers, particularly cabbage producers, because vegetable crops often leave more residual nitrogen in the soil than cereals. At the same time, the scientific knowledge underpinning nitrogen estimates for vegetable crops remains limited.
For Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen, making an exemption from environmental regulations is not the answer.
Quite the opposite.
She argues that Denmark should invest far more strategically in research and innovation to develop production systems that protect waterways while maintaining a competitive horticultural sector.
Field experiments already show promising results. Intercropping, cover crops, healthy crop rotations, precision fertilisation, nutrient and biomass recycling and reduced soil tillage all appear capable of reducing nitrate leaching, maintaining high yields and even improving soil health.
"We don't have to choose between producing more Danish vegetables and protecting the environment. But there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. A cabbage field on sandy soil doesn't require the same management as onions grown on clay. That's why we need much more research to develop cropping systems tailored to individual crops and soil types," she says.
She also points out that fruit and vegetables differ fundamentally from much of the rest of agriculture because they are grown directly for human consumption.
"Fruit and vegetables generally have a low climate footprint because they are food - not feed. That makes them a very land-efficient way of producing food, and they can therefore play an important role in the green transition of Danish agriculture."
Transparency from field to fork
Denmark will never be self-sufficient in bananas or oranges.
But a large share of the fruit and vegetables currently imported could already be grown domestically - and often under production systems with considerable potential for lower climate and environmental impacts.
This includes apples, cabbages, root vegetables and several greenhouse crops. Modern storage technologies already make it possible to supply Danish onions and carrots almost year-round. For many other crops, investments in innovation, storage and new cultivation methods could significantly extend the Danish season.
"Today we import many fruit and vegetables that Danish growers could easily produce during the season. With the production systems we are developing, we have the opportunity to grow them with a lower climate and environmental footprint. At the same time, consumers benefit from a food system with high levels of transparency and documentation all the way from field to fork," says Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen.
She notes that the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's annual monitoring consistently finds fewer pesticide residues in Danish-grown fruit and vegetables than in imported produce. Danish production also operates under strict national rules on traceability, occupational health and working conditions, giving consumers a high degree of transparency.
But production will not increase on its own.
"Growers need confidence that there is a market before they invest in new varieties, regenerative production systems, storage facilities and technology. That requires close collaboration between researchers, producers, retailers and policymakers."
Competing on quality - not price
If Danish growers are to compete with countries where labour and production costs are lower, price is unlikely to be their strongest advantage.
Quality, however, could be.
For decades, plant breeding and cultivation have focused primarily on yield, uniform size, visual appearance and transport resilience. Research is now opening up new possibilities.
The choice of varieties and cultivation methods influences far more than plant growth. It also affects taste, texture, shelf life and the concentration of a wide range of bioactive compounds. Researchers are therefore developing production systems and crop varieties that deliver superior eating quality and may also contain higher levels of health-promoting compounds.
"Our goal isn't simply to grow more vegetables. We also want to produce vegetables with better sensory characteristics, greater diversity and higher quality. Research suggests that cultivation methods and variety selection can influence these characteristics, but we need robust scientific evidence to fully understand the effects," she says.
Ultimately, she hopes consumers will begin to look at fruit and vegetables differently.
"We readily talk about the quality of wine, coffee or cheese. Fruit and vegetables deserve the same attention. Around the dinner table, we should be talking about taste, quality and the story behind the produce - not just the price per kilogram."
Reversing the current trend is therefore about much more than increasing production.
It is about building a Danish fruit and vegetable sector that ranks among the world's most sustainable, transparent and quality-driven.
Contact
Professor Hanne Lakkenborg Kristensen
Department of Food Science, Aarhus University
Mail: hanne.kristensen@food.au.dk
Tel.: +4520698054
Jesper Bruun
Journalist, Aarhus University
Mail: bruun@au.dk
Tel.: +4542404140