Thomas Harttung

Thomas Harttung is a biodynamic farmer, forester, and food entrepreneur in Denmark. In 1999 he co-founded Aarstiderne (The Seasons), reputedly one of the largest CSAs in the world. It serves more than 40,000 Danish and Swedish households by delivering organic and biodynamic produce, fruit, meat, dairy, and dry goods to their doorstep and employs more than 130 co-workers to generate an annual turnover of $45 million. Apart from cultivating 250 acres of fresh produce on its own land, Aarstiderne collaborates with organic  farms all over Denmark and Sweden, importing fruit and vegetables from fellow growers in southern Europe during  the winter season. The company adheres to a strict no-fly policy for its sourcing. It has pioneered farm-gate-to-doorstep carbon accounting and on-farm offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions  through the Green Carbon Initiative. Aarstiderne is also deeply engaged in teaching schoolchildren how to grow, cook, and understand their own food.
 
Thomas  continues to serve as the nonexecutive chairman of Aarstiderne while developing BlackCarbon,  a groundbreaking carbon-negative energy technology that combines cogeneration, biochar production, and methane capture in agriculture.
 
He  also serves as chairman of ICROFS, The International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems,  a founding trustee of the Sustainable Food Trust, a commissioner on the Nature and Agriculture Commission in Denmark. He has lectured widely on the future of food and agriculture.