Researchers' support for Swedish food-production chain
With their unique expertise, Swedish researchers are helping operators in the food-production chain to improve their environmental awareness and resource conservation.
The FOOD 21 research programme came to an end two years ago. During the life of this programme, extensive expertise was accumulated on issues of sustainability in the chain of food production, from farmer to consumer. ‘In what is known as a “synthesis project", we´re now using the research community´s knowledge to provide support and answer questions from the user group,´ relates Professor Rune Andersson, programme manager for FOOD 21 and the new synthesis project.
One of the areas of knowledge that have attracted attention is about locally produced, reliable animal feed. CanSwedenbecome self-supporting in feed concentrates, so that we no longer need to import, for example, soya-based protein feed from Brazil? If so, how can this be done?
‘The answer we´ve obtained to date is that imported feed is replaceable, yes. By, for example, using fallow land to grow leguminous plants and more protein-rich forage, we could become partially independent from imports. However, it isn´t financially profitable.´
But there are other ways to go. In the wake of the energy revolution, more rapeseed and other oil plants are cultivated. Energy production yields a by-product in the form of an oil cake that can serve as animal feed.
‘One agreeable side-effect is that the animal´s meat becomes more nutritious and contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3, than it would otherwise be.´
Ethanol production from cereals, too, yields by-products that are usable as concentrated feed.
Another issue raised by the user group is the question of how plant production in farming can be made more sustainable, i.e. how to reduce the use and risks of chemical pesticides.
‘More ecofriendly cultivation might be one remedy, but this can exacerbate problems of nitrate leaching. And one shouldn´t forget that, for many important crops, the harvest is halved.´
More can, however, be done in conventional agriculture. This is asserted by Rune Andersson, who relates that major pea growers of northwest Skåne have investigated and surveyed the land to avoid using infected soils that give rise to root rot of pea plants.
A third problem area is the question of how cultivation can be carried out close to water catchments without posing any risk of contamination with pesticide residues. Other current endeavours are to develop a strategy for reduced cadmium loads on land and crops; devise good indicators for animal welfare; investigate whether there is a propensity to pay and a market for food with surplus value; and find out how to avoid foodborne viral infections.
‘The project is one-third funded by Mistra, but most of the funding comes from the user group. This proves that the synthesis platform is sought after,´ says Rune Andersson.
