• Post category:Articles
  • Post published:23.1.2025

Revolutionizing agricultural side streams – how location data can support side stream logistics?

Agriculture produces valuable side streams like manure, spoiled feed, and agricultural plastics. However, farmers can face challenges in making efficient use of these streams. As side-streams are dispersed and require special handling, location-based logistics solutions can help in their utilisation. The TREASoURcE project is looking for solutions to make better use of side streams.

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Farms produce various side streams like manure, grass biomass, and straw, which can be utilized more efficiently.

TREASoURcE is a project that creates local value chains to utilise resources for biogas and recycled fertiliser. This involves mapping raw materials and optimising logistics. A digital marketplace will support these value chains and be replicated in other project countries.

“TREASoURcE is on a mission to revolutionise the way we do business with side streams. We’re working closely with farmers, other industries, municipalities and regions to create circular bioeconomy markets and business models, support the formation of biobased value chains and explore the possibilities of using urban and rural waste and side streams,” says TREASoURcE project manager Nora Berglund from the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK).

“TREASoURcE is on a mission to revolutionise the way we do business with side streams.”

Currently, the digital marketplace is based on OpenStreetMap, which uses the address information from the ads and displays it on a map. Berglund admits that more effective use of location data could also be beneficial.

“We are working on a service for logistics entrepreneurs to optimise the logistics of biobased side stream flows and enable transport entrepreneurs to use the platform. Ideally, it would be possible to combine the collection of side streams from farms and optimise their use. “

TREASoURcE project manager Nora Berglund from the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)

Artificial intelligence, automation and location data needed

Farms produce various side streams like manure, grass biomass, and straw, which can be utilized more efficiently. These materials, along with municipal bio-waste and sewage sludge, are excellent materials for biogas plants and biorefineries. They can be converted into energy and valuable products, reducing the environmental impact and use of fossil fuel. However, exploiting these side streams is not so simple.

“In particular, the unprofitable cost structure of low-cost materials is a major obstacle to more efficient use of side streams. Their logistics costs can easily become high. Profitability, seasonality, logistics and distance make it difficult to develop activities. The sector is also highly fragmented,” explains Nora Berglund.

One possible solution could be a mapping service where the user could mark the biomasses they know on a map and the mapping service would optimise the location of a potential biorefinery, biogas plant or, for example, a recycled fertiliser plant.

“This is something we are not able to do in our project. The demand for this type of service could however be considerable in the future”, believes Berglund. She says that all solutions related to artificial intelligence and automation are very necessary.

An interesting initiative in Finland is an innovative agricultural plastics collection company that is developing a nationwide system for the large-scale collection and recycling of agricultural plastics. Location data and technology will certainly continue to play an important role in such projects.

KiertoaSuomesta.fi (CircularFinland) is a digital marketplace that helps sellers and buyers of materials to find each other. The service focuses in particular on biobased side streams from primary production and industry.