Professor aims to contribute to more sustainable food systems

With roots in Denmark, where she grew up on an arable farm, Professor Marie Trydeman Knudsen has been closely connected to food production from an early age. As a child and teenager, she helped with tasks such as weeding leeks and carrots, stubble cultivation and harvesting potatoes.

This hands-on experience, combined with a strong interest in mathematics and natural sciences, set her on a scientific journey that has now led to a professorship at the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University.

From Funen to Foulum

Marie Trydeman Knudsen began her academic journey by studying agricultural science with a focus on crops and the environment. During her studies, she worked on integrated production systems and completed a master's thesis on intercropping cereals and grain legumes.

Part of her university years was spent as a volunteer in Indonesia, where she worked with agroforestry systems.

After graduation, she worked at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, now part of the University of Copenhagen, and later at Risø National Laboratory, now part of the Technical University of Denmark. Her work focused on nitrogen fixation and crop yields in field experiments involving intercropping systems, as well as interviews with farmers.

A move to the Viborg region led to a position at the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), where she worked with organic farming from a global perspective, and later as a Nature and Environmental Advisor for a farmers' association in western Himmerland. There, her work included nitrogen balance assessments and environmental impact screenings.

Along the way, she applied for and received an independent PhD scholarship at the University of Copenhagen. Her doctoral research focused on life cycle assessments and took her to countries such as China and Brazil, where she studied value chains and the carbon footprints of organic orange juice and soybean production.

Life cycle assessments and global perspectives

For nearly two decades, Marie Trydeman Knudsen has worked with life cycle assessment (LCA), a method used to estimate the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of different food and agricultural systems.

She has developed and taught courses on agriculture from a global perspective and contributed to numerous research projects, both in Denmark and internationally.

Her research covers a broad range of topics, including LCAs of vegetable production, agroforestry systems, livestock production, biorefining, seaweed cultivation, and alternative growing media.

One of her most significant projects was the EU-funded SOLID project, where she worked on integrating carbon sequestration and later biodiversity into LCA methodology. The project laid the foundation for many of the collaborations and research areas that have followed throughout her career.

Sustainability and the food systems of the future

Today, Marie Trydeman Knudsen is involved in several projects that directly address current climate and environmental challenges.

One of the projects she leads focuses on climate and environmental labelling of food products. The project has developed guidelines for calculating carbon footprints and mapped existing climate and environmental labelling schemes across Europe.

Methodologically, she works to strengthen and expand LCA approaches so they can better capture the complexity of food systems and account for impacts on biodiversity, aquatic environments, soil quality, and other environmental factors.

This is particularly important when life cycle assessments are used for climate and environmental labelling or for optimising agricultural systems. More comprehensive assessments can help avoid unintended trade-offs and suboptimal solutions.

In addition to contributing to a wide range of research projects, she is a member of the Danish Council on Climate Change and serves as Head of the Section for Agricultural Systems and Sustainability at the Department of Agroecology.

Through her role on the Climate Council, she contributes expertise in climate, environment, food production, and life cycle assessment to support the development of Danish climate policy across sectors.

A passion for sustainable food production

As a professor, Marie Trydeman Knudsen looks forward to continuing her research with a clear focus on developing sustainable and climate-friendly food systems.

She is also committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of researchers, helping them contribute to future agroecological solutions.

"I hope that my research can contribute to the development of more sustainable and climate-friendly food production systems," she says.

She adds that an important part of her work is continuing to improve methods for assessing the climate and environmental performance of agricultural systems.

A career driven by motivation and collaboration

Marie Trydeman Knudsen is known for her motivation and dedication to her work.

She thrives in collaboration with colleagues and research partners, where brainstorming and the exchange of ideas create opportunities for innovation and new solutions. In her view, good collaboration and positive working environments are essential for successful research projects – and a good working life.

"It means a great deal to me to have a positive and engaging working environment and good colleagues," she says.

Looking ahead

Although she has never set rigid career goals, Marie Trydeman Knudsen is pleased with the way her career has evolved.

Her ambition is to help ensure that future generations benefit from sustainable food systems and avoid decisions that may create long-term environmental challenges.

"Of course, I hope that I can contribute to creating more sustainable food systems," she says.

The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University appointed Marie Trydeman Knudsen Professor of Life Cycle Assessment of Agricultural and Food Systems on 1 May 2024. She formally marked her professorial appointment on 2 September 2026.

More information

Contact: Professor Marie Trydeman Knudsen, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. Tel.: 22258387 or mail: mariet.knudsen@agro.au.d