Action at the farm, landscape, and food system scale can increase efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in crop production. We explore how this can be best achieved in different parts of the world, also including environmental ethics and bioethics.
In our research, we investigate how to increase diversity and resilience from the farm to feed and food system level through strategies such as crop-livestock integration, agroforestry, grazing and rangeland restoration, and improving water and nutrient management. By studying environmental ethics and bioethics, we also explore moral issues in the life sciences and human interactions with the natural world. We address topics such as naturalness, research ethics, and the ethics of genetically modified crops (read more at the SLU Ethics page: What is Ethics? | Externwebben (slu.se); Etik vid SLU | Externwebben).
The goal of our research is to generate new knowledge to support sustainable and resilient agricultural production systems to meet the challenges of today and be ready for the future. Through transdisciplinary research, we co-develop sustainable management options in collaboration between academy, industry, authorities and civil society, where farmers and advisors play key roles. Our collaborative work will contribute to translating science into policy and practice on local, national and global scale.
Ongoing research
- Research Ethics for Citizen Science, funded by Formas. Per Sandin.
- Productive Sands - Transformational climate-smart options for sustainable agriculture and resilience on smallholder farms in areas with coarse-textured soils, funded by the Swedish Research Council VR. Sandra Makaita Madamombe (PhD student), Libère Nkurunziza, Ingrid Öborn, Tarirai Muoni.
- Drylands Transform – Achieving the SDGs in East African drylands: Pathways and challenges towards a social-ecological transformation of landscapes, livestock and livelihoods, funded by Formas. Ingrid Öborn, Ylva Nyberg. (Drylands Transform | Externwebben (slu.se))
- Restore4More – Scaling rangeland restoration in drylands through synergies in the biodiversity-water-climate nexus, funded by Formas. Aida Bargues Tobella, Ingrid Öborn. (Restore4More | Externwebben (slu.se))
- Agriculture for Food Security 2030 – Translating Science to Policy and Practice (AgriFoSe 2030). Ylva Nyberg (through Dept. Soil and Environment, funded by Sida) (Welcome to AgriFoSe2030! | Externwebben (slu.se))
- SustAinimal – Grazing and forage for increased food production, sustainability and competitiveness. A collaborative research centre exploring the future role of livestock in sustainable and competitive Swedish food production systems. Funded by Formas and partners in the consortia, Nilla Nilsdotter-Linde, Fatima El Khosht (PhD student), Ingrid Öborn, in collaboration with Anna Hessle (SLU), Ann-Charlotte Wallenhammar (HS) and Ola Hallin (HS Sjuhärad). (SustAinimal | Externwebben (slu.se))
- Grazing Living Labs – SustAinimal, funded by Formas and Norrmejerier. Nilla Nilsdotter-Linde in collaboration with Anna-Karin Karlsson (RISE). (SustAinimal | Externwebben (slu.se))
- Grazing4AgroEcology – European Network to promote grazing and to support grazing-based farms on their economic and ecologic performances as well as on animal welfare, funded by Horizon Europe. Nilla Nilsdotter-Linde in collaboration with Anna Hessle (SLU) and Linda af Geijersstam (Swedish Grassland Society), led by Grünlandzentrum (g4ae.eu).
- From wanting to, to daring and being able to - how can we better support agricultural entrepreneurs to promote the long-term sustainability of arable land, funded by The Kamprad Family Fundation for Entrepreneurship, Research and Charity. Elsa Lagerquist, in collaboration with Jenny Höckert and Christina Lundström, RådNu, SLU. (Stöd till jordhälsopionjärer | Externwebben (slu.se))
- Constraints on the expansion of organic farming in Sweden, funded by Formas (led by Lund University), sub-project mapping alternative nutrient sources from organic waste products for use in organic farming and their potential to support expansion of organic farming. Elsa Lagerquist, Sigrun Dahlin, Christine Watson and Ingrid Öborn.
- UPSCALE – Upscaling the benefits of push-pull technology for sustainable agricultural intensification in East Africa, funded by Horizon Europe (led by Justus Liebig University of Gießen), Sigrun Dahlin, Shem Kuyah, et al.
- Improving climate adaptation of sustainable livelihoods with capacities for biodiversity governance through Environmental Monitoring and assessment, funded by The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and led by the Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, SLU, in partnership with many institutions in Sweden and DRC. Kevin Bishop, Libère Nkurunziza, et al.
- Strengthened institutions for a sustainable climate: a multi-country and multi-stakeholder initiative to counter climate change by enhancing use of climate related data for informed climate action, funded by The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and led by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency together with four other Swedish Authorities including SLU. Abraham Joel, Libère Nkurunziza, et al.
Completed projects
- Inno4Grass – shared innovation space for sustainable productivity of grasslands in Europe, funded by Horizon 2020. Nilla Nilsdotter-Linde, Anna Carlsson (Swedish Grassland Society) led by Grünlandzentrum. inno4grass.eu
- Solution for increasing farm system resilience and carbon sinks on sandy soils, funded by the Nordic Development Fund (Nordic Climate Facility). Libère Nkurunziza, Shem Kuyah, Sylus Musei.
