Columbi Farms is our new collarboration partner

Together with Terravera Foundation, Columbi Farms aims to compare the carbon footprint of organic fertilizer produced by Columbi Farms against mineral fertilizer (synthetic fertilizer).

This collaboration could potentially increase Columbi Farms' credibility, attract investors, provide market access, reduce risk, and lower the footprint of their products. In turn, this could strengthen their market position and support their long-term sustainability goals.

Columbi Farms AS was established to produce vegetables and other useful crops by utilizing nutrient-rich water from smolt production for fertilizer production, making resources available for a sustainable and circular business model. The company is 96% owned by Columbi Salmon AS, 4% owned by Hørtebonden AS, and operates in Norway. It was founded in October 2020 and had four employees in 2023, along with a project organization based on contracted expertise. The company had operating revenues of NOK 45,500 in 2023, derived exclusively from intercompany agreements with its parent company.

The company aims to be “a bold and curious team player.”

Columbi Farms' main sustainability initiative is the Nutricycle research project, a collaboration with SINTEF, NIBIO, and the Research Council of Norway. The project aims to develop a sustainable food production system where nutrients from land-based fish farming facilities are extracted and made available as fertilizer for agriculture. Additionally, efforts are being made to develop Norwegian strawberry seedlings with good plant health (free from pesticides) that produce higher and more consistent yields.

Ole Nordal, CEO at Columbi Farms

Hvilke utfordringer ser dere i bransjen generelt?

“In general, Columbi Farms sees challenges related to market access and financing, as well as the uncertain geopolitical situation in Europe and the world, which can disrupt value chains and lead to price increases for construction work and materials. Additionally, there are risks associated with the cost of technology and biological production, particularly plant growth rates and programming,” says Ole Nordal, CEO of Columbi Farms.

“A collaboration with a foundation like Terravera strengthens the company’s sustainability efforts and documentation by offering expertise, models, and insights that can support the development of sustainable production methods and expand market access.”

“Columbi Farms emphasizes collaboration with multiple industry players, such as SINTEF, NIBIO, the Research Council of Norway, Yara, Hørtebonden AS, Jordbær AS, and Gartnerhallen. We believe that collaboration can help develop and test sustainable solutions that benefit the entire industry.”

“We believe that Terravera’s model and the collaboration with NTNU will raise awareness about what is important and the right direction for sustainability work. The prerequisite for this is that Terravera’s model and data foundation are comprehensive enough to cover the entire value chain. It is not there yet,” says Nordal.

Terravera looks forward to the collaboration and welcomes Columbi Farms on board!