The Agroecology Europe Forum 2025 aims to shape the future of food systems through agroecology. This year’s theme will highlight collaboration, integration and action to accelerate agroecological transitions across Europe.
The contributing LUCSUS researchers cover perennial grain agriculture, agroecological futures, carbon farming, and artistic visions of alternative food systems.
Spotlight on Perennial Grains
Lennart Olsson will present the bold vision of a perennial future for agriculture – an idea at the heart of the PERENNIAL project’s ongoing research. The presentation will be complemented by a scientific tasting session, offering participants the chance to sample foods made from the perennial grain Kernza. Highlights include Sweden’s first Kernza beer, brewed in collaboration with Malmö-based South Plains Brewing Company, and artisanal bread from the local bakery Bagaren och Bonden.
"This is a tasting experiment, not a commercial event," says Stefan Schüller, a PhD student in the project. "Participants get to taste and give feedback, contributing directly to our research."
Schüller will lead a panel on perennial grain agriculture on the second day, bringing together researchers and practitioners from across Europe. The seminar will inform the audience about the prospects of perennial grains, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges they present for the future of food production.
The final day features a milestone: the first in-person strategy meeting of a newly formed European hub for perennial grain agriculture, inspired by a previous gathering in Mexico earlier this year.
Imagining Agroecological Futures
Rebecca Laycock Pedersen will lead a workshop grounded in her forthcoming academic paper. She invites participants to imagine new products, networks, and economic practices aligned with agroecological principles.
"My interest is in looking beyond what we grow and how we grow it," she says. “When discussing better agroecological futures, we often overlook alternative ways of exchange, such as food sharing, bartering, or alternative financing methods."
Through interactive exercises, complete with post-its, participants will question assumptions about food systems and explore overlooked aspects of agroecological futures.
Carbon Farming and Participatory Visions
Emma Johansson and Elina Andersson will present a poster on carbon farming. Their work defines the emerging concept of storing carbon in agricultural soils and maps existing programs that link farmers with investors through carbon credits.
Additionally, Johansson will showcase an art exhibition based on her work in Tanzania. Her paintings are co-created with farmers and pastoralists, two groups that often come into conflict over land use but envision peace and collaboration through agroecology.
"These artworks show how farmers and pastoralists imagined alternative farming practices, alternative economies and social solutions," says Johansson. "From new markets to sustainable livestock practices, the visions highlight environmental and social dimensions of food system change."
Find the program for Agroecology Europe Forum 2025 on aeeuforum2025.se.