What attracted you to LUCSUS and this PhD?
Working and living in Sweden had been a dream of mine already for many years and LUCSUS was one of the places I was carefully scouting for potential opportunities due to its international character, its interdisciplinary research and its critical approach on topics close to my heart. Although I was quite happy with my teaching and researching position at Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands, once I saw the vacancy for this particular PhD, I knew I had to give it a try. The PERENNIAL project that my PhD is situated in is doing incredibly exciting and innovative work that has the potential to radically transform agriculture as we know it and I’m very eager to contribute to this exploratory journey!
What will you explore?
Specifically, the PERENNIAL project will investigate whether a shift from annual to perennial grain crops as the basis for food production is possible and what the major opportunities and obstacles for such a ‘perennial revolution’ in agriculture are. 70% of the world’s crop lands is currently being dominated by annual grains (cereals, legumes, and oil seeds), which disrupt critical ecological processes every season resulting in core sustainability challenges (soil erosion, nutrient leaching, GHG emissions, etc.). While perennial grains - especially when grown in polycultures - have the potential to solve many of these problems, they would also challenge powerful vested interests that benefit from the fact that most annual cropping systems are dependent on the continuous purchase of external inputs (seeds, agrochemicals, machinery, etc.). My PhD research will aim to better understand why our global food system has gotten so reliant on annual grain crops, which political and socio-economic factors (as well as actors) maintain the status quo, and what strategies for transformation towards a perennial future of agriculture could look like?
What is your background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in International Land & Water Management from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and a master’s degree in Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague. Prior to joining LUCSUS, I worked for five years as a programme manager for the Dutch human rights & environmental organization Both ENDS and the last year as a lecturer and researcher in sustainable land management at WUR. In both jobs, I was focusing on agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on participatory approaches to land restoration and the incorporation of agroecological principles into the development of local farming systems.
What drives you in your work?
What has motivated me to work in the field of agricultural development over the last decade is the fact that while agri-food systems are recognised as one of the main causes of many of the complex and interlinked crises the world is currently facing (e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, hunger and obesity, etc.), they also hold incredible potential to change things for the better. Many solutions are out there, just as there are forces trying to profit from the status quo as long as possible. Just like in my previous work, also in my PhD I hope that I will be able to contribute to positive change, challenging incumbent power structures and helping to spur radical transformations in food and farming.
How do you find research in Sweden and at LUCSUS?
I have of course only joint LUCSUS recently, so it is hard to say how exactly it differs from the research in countries like the Netherlands or elsewhere. Having started in Summer of course also didn’t really help in getting an impression with the vast majority of colleagues out of office for a longer period of time. But maybe that in itself is a first insight, the extent to which the seasons and the weather in general influence many aspects of work life in Sweden, from people’s energy levels and research output to joint activities. It is something that friends had reminded me about before, the long summers with empty offices and the short and cold winter days that can feel a little depressive. Having said this, I am happy to see that there is a great sense of community at LUCSUS that really appeals to me and that I’m sure will help me to easily get through the winter months 😉 Coupled with the very interesting and often interdisciplinary work that many colleagues are engaged in, I am sure I will have a pleasant and instructive time at LUCSUS.
