The Future of Food: Sustainable Practices and Perennial Crops
Have you ever imagined how the future will shape our dining tables? What if I said we could look forward to dishes supplemented by perennial crops instead of the traditional annual grains? Research conducted at Swedish University of Agriculture, Uppsala, and The Land Institute, USA, is providing promising insights into that very prospect. Let us delve in!
Anna Westerbergh and Agriculture’s Future
For us expats in Sweden who value sustainability, the work of Anna Westerbergh is close to our hearts. A docent in genetics and plant breeding for Uppsala’s Swedish University of Agriculture, Westerbergh primarily focuses on reducing agriculture’s environmental impact and securing a sustainable food supply by refining perennial plants for future generations.
Addressing Current Agricultural Challenges
Despite about 95 percent of our food originating from fertile soil, UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization reports that the thin layer of topsoil is disappearing faster than it can regenerate. Timothy Crews, a research leader at The Land Institute in the USA, suggests that our issue arises from persisting with the cultivation of annual grass varieties like wheat, corn, and rice, a tradition passed down by our ancestors.
The Promise of Perennial Plants
Could the key to our issues lie in perennial crops, which can be harvested over multiple years while minimizing environmental damage? Crews believes so, suggesting that the continual coverage and deeper root systems of perennial plants could reduce soil loss, limit emissions of climate gases, and decrease nutrient leakage into watercourses. Not only would perennial cultivation require reduced labor and less consumption of fuels for machinery, but it might also lessen the need for pesticides.
The Path towards Perennial Adoption
Even with the evident advantages, one might wonder — why did our ancestors primarily focus on annual plants? Timothy Crews clarifies, suggesting the traits of annual plants suited the early farmers’ needs, as they could easily harvest mature seeds and replant them season after season. Annual crops have hence been refined for thousands of years, while the refinement of perennial crops is still in its infancy.
Zoning in on Perennial Wheat and Barley
As global attention shifts towards sustainable practices, research on perennial alternatives has gained momentum. Westerbergh’s team, along with researchers worldwide, has made significant strides. They have produced perennial varieties such as wheat and a wild relative of barley, producing promising results and cultivating hope for sustainable future agriculture.
Overcoming the Challenges
Despite the promising results, the adoption of perennial plants is still seen with skepticism in some corners. However, recent scientific breakthroughs, including a study on perennial rice that commands equivalent yields to its annual counterpart over eight harvests, have bolstered the case for perennial crops.
Words of Hope and Patience
As Westerbergh points out, though we’ve come a long way, it may still take time for perennials to entirely infiltrate our dining tables. Patience, she insinuates, is critical during this transition period for global agriculture. However, Westerbergh and her contemporaries worldwide persevere in their mission, creating a sustainable and nourishing future for our planet.
Potential advantages of perennial crops:
- Reduced soil erosion, carbon dioxide emissions, and labor input as ploughing is not required every year.
- Greater resistance to weather fluctuations and enhanced nutrient uptake due to deeper roots.
- Better utilization of sunlight as they exist in position as Spring arrive.
- Lessened need for pesticides due to their strong competition against annual weeds.
Source: Swedish University of Agriculture
Despite the trials in the road ahead, it warms the heart to know that such brilliant minds are seeking solutions to the challenges staring us in the face. The promise of these scientists brings hope that we might soon sit down to our meals, secure in the knowledge of their sustainability.
