Man standing outside greenhouse — Alejandro Barrios Latorre's thesis show that combining crop residues with intermediate crops can deliver multiple environmental benefits at once. Photo: Lill Eriksson

From crop residues to climate solutions

News published: 02/11/2026

What is often ploughed back into the soil or regarded as agricultural waste could play a key role in the green transition. A new thesis from SLU shows that crop residues and intermediate crops can provide renewable energy, reduce agriculture's climate impact, and improve soil health.

The world faces a major challenge: reducing greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to produce enough food for a growing population. Agriculture sits at the heart of this challenge. While it provides food and livelihoods, it also contributes to climate change, nutrient pollution, and biodiversity loss.

In a study focusing on Swedish agricultural systems, Alejandro Barrios Latorre investigated whether crop residues, such as straw and other plant material left after harvest, can be used sustainably for biogas production. He also examined the role of intermediate crops, plants grown between main cash crops that help protect and improve the soil.

– Growing intermediate crops can offset the negative effects of crop residue removal in large agricultural areas in Sweden. They not only contribute to carbon sequestration in the soil but also reduced pollution to aquatic ecosystems and provided additional biomass from the bioeconomy, says Alejandro Barrios Latorre.

Residues have value far beyond food production

When agricultural biomass is converted into biogas, it can replace fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on non-renewable resources.

– At the same time, intermediate crops help store carbon in the soil, improve soil quality, and reduce nitrogen losses that can lead to eutrophication in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

The benefits vary depending on local conditions such as climate and soil type. The greatest gains were often observed in areas with low-clay soils and longer growing seasons. In these regions, intermediate crops helped increase soil carbon levels, improve soil fertility, and reduce nutrient losses to the environment.

The study highlights that agricultural residues have value far beyond food production. By turning crop residues into renewable energy while using intermediate crops to strengthen ecosystems, agriculture can contribute to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action, affordable and clean energy, responsible production, and the protection of water resources.

The future of agriculture can produce renewable energy, reduce emissions, and restore environmental health. What was once considered waste may become an important resource for sustainable global development.

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