GTK, Luke boost co-op to promote responsible natural resources use

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) intensified their cooperation in projects both nationally and especially internationally, said an official press release.

Both institutions are internationally recognised for their scientific excellence; GTK in the field of geological natural resources and Luke in the sustainable use of natural resources.

The cooperation between GTK and Luke started within the cooperation body of ten Finnish government research institutes (Tulanet) that promotes interdisciplinary research and expert work.

The GTK-Luke cooperation will support both organisations to better meet the demands set by international tenders which require a broad set of skills to meet the SDGs and respond to transformations in natural resource management. GTK and Luke are spearheading this concept that targets larger projects with other Tulanet members.

“Our competences complement one another perfectly. The socio-economic and environmental challenges are so systemic and multifaceted that they cannot be addressed with research competence in only one specific field. We are now able to look at the challenges from a broader perspective and find more effective solutions,” said Philipp Schmidt-Thomé, Head of International Projects at GTK.

“The challenges involved with the sustainable use of natural resources and environmentally wise solutions are global and growing in significance. Closer cooperation and broader partner networks help us to innovate more effective solutions, which in turn strengthens our international impact,” said John Kettle, Director, Sales & International Relations at Luke.

One of successful joint projects was improving food security in Ethiopia through enhancing the soil fertility using own mineral resource. The project was implemented during 2014-2018 and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland promoted instrument called ‘ICI’.

“The project investigated the quantity and quality (suitability) of lime resources and their effect on soil pH, health and fertility to increase crop yield and nutrition value. Through appropriate application of lime, a mineral resource nearby, we were able to correct the soil pH, soil structure and water retention ability. As a result, crop yield considerably increased while minimizing the use of phosphate-based fertilizer by nearly 50%. We have done experiments on the smallholder farmers land, working together with the farmers and extension service providers and other stakeholders, at the same time providing on-job-trainings. By the end of the project, we have documented soil analytical data, guideline for proper application of lime and fertilizers at our counterpart institutions. Information was disseminated to several stockholders and country’s government level through meetings and workshops. This bottom-up approach worked well in the area,” said Project Manager Tegist Chernet, Senior Researcher at GTK.