How we produce and consume food affects all three dimensions that are necessary for sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. A transformation of the food system is a prerequisite for achieving the UN's global sustainability goals, the national environmental goals and the public health goals.  

The above is the conclusion of Dag Sjöholm, Research and Business Developer at RISE. According to him, there are two clear goal conflicts when it comes to the transition that are important to relate to. The first concerns the production of food: 

"More and more agricultural and food actors are making a real effort to reduce their climate impact. If it is to succeed fully, for example by harvesting more, to get more food out of each square meter, it is unfortunately in conflict with biodiversity and the protection of nature,” says Ulf Sonesson. 

Different crops are grown together 

"In the longer term, the conflict may not be as clear. But in that case, it requires us to develop production methods that create a much greater variety in the agricultural landscape, for example by growing different crops together in the same field. In order for this to be possible, we need to learn more about how the development of different crops can be predicted and controlled. 

The other major conflict of objectives concerns us consumers and is between the range of food in the stores and what we feel good about eating.” 

"Globally, increased prosperity has initially contributed to us eating better when hunger is fought. But quite quickly, an increase in prosperity means that the diet deteriorates. More fast food, sugar and fat. The second trend is the vegetarian and vegan diet. It is climate-efficient, but requires more knowledge from the consumer to provide all the nutrition you need. 

Reduced amount of chemical pesticides 

A food operator wanting to avoid the blind spots can use RISE's guidance. The first step, according to Ulf Sonesson, can be to acquire enough knowledge to decide whether it is conventional or organic farming that you should invest in. For example, for cereal cultivation, conventional agriculture provides better performance for many environmental aspects compared to organic farming. 

"It is possible to develop cereal cultivation in a more ecosystem-friendly direction by reducing the use of chemical pesticides with the help of sensors, AI and precision agriculture. By providing a small shower exactly where a weed is located instead of spraying an entire surface, the use of pesticides can be reduced by up to 90 percent. 

Replacing today's bigmachines with several small autonomous vehicles can in the future lead to a more varied agricultural landscape at the same time as profitability can increase,” Ulf Sonesson believes.

The result: Projects that create economic drivers to transition 

To take into account all aspects, RISE maintains interdisciplinary approaches. The result is projects that create economic drivers for sustainability. Sonesson exemplifies with a project that aims to reduce a major player's climate impact in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. RISE contributes with life cycle analyses and other calculation data to quantify the actor's future production system. In the next step, a product and concept development is done to create added value that consumers want to pay for. 

"I usually say that we are a guide in the transition jungle. It is possible to build the food system of the future on today's knowledge.” But we must learn to use the knowledge smarter. Here, parts of the meat and dairy industry are forerunners. Many companies in that sector today see the transition as a business opportunity. 

With a turnover of SEK 200 billion and 55,000 people employed, the food industry is the country's third largest industry. There are around 4600 processing enterprises in the sector and only 650 of them employ more than ten people. It is thus an important sector where any change can have an impact on society at large. 

As a research and business developer at RISE, Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson works to build networks and systems that facilitate innovations and sustainable development. One of the goals is to achieve collaboration throughout the value chain from farm to fork – from primary production, through processing of the products and on to sales in trade or in restaurants. 

"Everyone we talk to sees the benefits of collaboration and innovation, but there are of course obstacles along the way. But it is not obvious for an entrepreneur to talk innovation with their supplier or customer. They are used to being each other's counterparts and now they are suddenly going to cooperate," says Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson. 

"If you are going to develop completely new business and cooperation models, it is advantageous to have an independent party involved. Here at RISE we can help with both facilitation or coordination and our expertise. 

Increased knowledge about innovation 

Within the centre initiative FINEST, Chalmers, Uppsala University and RISE develop knowledge about innovation in the food sector together with a number of companies in the food chain. The project started in 2020 and runs over four years. Something that the project wants to address is that risks and opportunities look different for different actors. Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson gives an example: 

“If an entrepreneur wants to start bean cultivation or develop a new product based on beans, the entire risk often lies with the individual company because the trade can say "sorry it didn't sell, come back when you have a new product". Here, the value chain can help each other. 

Investments must be anchored 

The purchase of tools is another example. A farmer who is thinking of investing in a new combine harvester to grow completely new crops needs to ensure that other actors are willing to refine and resell the product. 

The success that FINEST wants to contribute to is measured in financial terms, but also in terms of sustainability. 

"It's not just climate, just health, just biodiversity. All at the same time. And that is why we need to include many different actors who can contribute with their skills. Both to future-proof their specific businesses, but also to be involved and take responsibility for a more sustainable world.” 

Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson emphasizes that the knowledge that the actors in the value chain contribute complements the expertise that RISE and its partners stand for. “To know how it works practically on a farm, in a factory or in a shop is necessary to take into account when new models for collaboration are to take shape. Everyone is needed.” 

Daring to test more at an early stage is an important experience that Charlotte Eklund-Jonsson and her colleagues at RISE have drawn so far in the FINEST project. 

"We need to move faster. There is an impatience in the industry that we need to respond to. Impatience is a symptom that they want to be involved and make a difference. They want to develop good and sustainable products that all consumers can and want to eat. I get a warm, cosy feeling from that ambition.”

The agricultural sector accounts for about 15 percent of Sweden's total greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from animals’ feed digestion, manure management and nitrogen conversion in soil consist of emissions from animal feed. 

Björn Ringselle is a researcher at RISE with a focus on, among other things, crop production, plant protection and biodiversity. He stresses the importance of increasing domestic production instead of relying on imports of food, feed, energy and other inputs, such as manure.  

"If we produce by ourselves, we have greater opportunities to do so in an environmentally smart manner and with traceability, while society can better handle war and other disruptions in supply chains.

For example, Swedish farms can produce their own energy and manure," says Björn Ringselle.  

Social sustainability an important aspect 

In order to create sustainable agriculture, at least three sustainability aspects need to be taken into account; environmental, economic and social. Social sustainability includes, among other things, the goal of more jobs in rural areas and a focus on a better working environment and good animal health.  

Björn Ringselle points out that there are things to do at farm level that can benefit both the climate and profitability, but that the measures often require difficult trade-offs. 

"They can provide great environmental benefits, but take time and money to carry out. The low profitability of agriculture is in many cases a brake on moving to more environmentally friendly technology and methodology. 

Swedish natural pasture and grassland contribute to increased biodiversity

A typical example is feed, where imported feed (such as soy) is linked to environmental degradation, while Swedish natural pasture and grassland – that is, grass and legumes – can contribute to carbon storage and increased biodiversity. 

Several projects are currently underway for technology and method development, with the goal of increasing the profitability of grassland production. This is done by finding alternative uses for the grassland, such as substitute products for the soya-based protein feed that is currently given to pigs and poultry, ethanol, bio-oil and biogas. The development work is also about making it easier and cheaper to use grazing animals, including with the help of virtual fences. 

"Grazing animals that feel good and are healthy give good yields and lower climate impact," says Björn Ringselle. 

Swedish agriculture is currently 25 percent fossil-free. Within the framework of the government initiative Fossil-free Sweden, LRF (Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund - Federation of Swedish Farmers) has adopted the goal that Swedish agriculture shall be fossil-free by 2030. 

Machinery powered by renewable fuels 

The transition requires, among other things, investments in new machinery powered by renewable fuels and eventually by electricity. Given the high price of diesel, it can be a financial incentive for those who are going to change, according to Björn Ringselle. 

Anna-Karin Karlsson is project manager at RISE and in the national centre for information SustAinimal. She sees an increased interest in the future role of food-producing animals in a more resilient, sustainable and profitable food system.  

"Sweden is an elongated country and the conditions for food production look very different in terms of climate, what land there is and what crops can be grown. The amount of agricultural land and natural pasture has decreased and species, which only thrive on natural pastures, are at risk of being lost. Only grazing animals can keep the natural pastures alive," says Anna-Karin Karlsson. 

SustAinimal shall investigate relevant solutions for food security in different regions of Sweden and what ability the food system has to deliver food and ecosystem services if something unforeseen happens, such as extreme weather or crises. 

“Anyone who has a business idea or wants further inspiration can contact me or one of my colleagues at RISE, where we are both a research institute and a business partner. We are happy to help with both development and testing of technology to contribute to more sustainable farms,” says Björn Ringselle. 

The way we use plastic needs to change. Single-use plastic can today have major consequences for animals and nature when it turns into garbage. And there is a lot of litter – about 85% of marine litter in the EU is made up of plastic.  

Agriculture can complement the forest for plastic substitutes. Therefore, the need for alternatives to plastic is great. A possible and proven replacement is wood fibre from the forest, but today the competition for the raw material that the forest provides is great, and the price is relatively high. Can there instead be residual streams that can be made of material, that grow relatively quickly and which are also a cheap raw material that would otherwise be lost?

The answer can be found in agriculture, a large industry with several different untapped residual streams, for example from crops such as sugar beet, wheat bran, oat husks and reeds. Today, some are used as animal feed, but much is burned or thrown away. In many cases, these can work at least as well as wood to make new materials from.  

"One example is cider presses, which have lots of peels that are thrown away but can be turned into vegan leather. There are also international examples where residues from corn production become barrier materials for packaging," says Juhanes Aydin, Head of Unit at RISE. 

Beer production can provide raw material for several different materials  

In some cases, it is a matter of using the rest as it is, but most often processing and refining are needed to produce different fractions such as fibre, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. They, in turn, become building elements for new materials that act as, for example, packaging. 

"Breweries get a lot of draff (a by-product of beer production) left over from their processes, where we look at what else can be gained from the leftovers. What you can extract in the form of fibres or proteins in turn indicates what type of material you can make," says Juhanes Aydin. 

The fact that the various side streams of agriculture contain more than just fibre, makes them versatile and attractive as raw materials in packaging.  

"The material has different character depending on what it is, there are big differences in properties and it is needed – it is not always water that the packaging should be a barrier to, it can be things like oil or oxygen. This places different demands and then it is important to have access to materials with different properties,” says Juhanes Aydin, who also mentions the aesthetic aspect as important – if a package is made of oat husks, you often want it to be visible, not least for marketing purposes. 

"I am quite sure that there will be a great demand for products made of these materials. Not least when it comes to packaging for food from grocery stores or restaurants. There is no need to choose wood over materials from agriculture,” says Juhanes Aydin. 

Much remains to be done – but the expertise is there 

Different businesses need to find their area of use and model and then use RISE's experts in different ways:  

"We test how to extract different components and get the right properties, help with prototypes, look at how this can work in an existing process, do life cycle analyses and review business models and profitability," says Juhanes Aydin.  

Sweden's focus on wood fibre has meant that there is so far no reprocessed chain to take advantage of agricultural residues in an efficient way. 

"In Germany and Holland, these residual streams are much more exploited. There, for example, manufacturers of vegan leather go around and pick up the material from different farmers and then refine it," says Juhanes Aydin.

Various species of grass and legumes, known as forage crops, are currently grown on almost half of Sweden's arable land. However, as the number of cows and sheep has declined, we are now unable to utilise the quantities produced.  

– It's problematic from several perspectives. The profitability of our farmers, biodiversity, resource utilisation...,’ says Pär-Johan Lööf.

Seeking new ways to harness the potential of plants 

That is why Lantmännen is looking for new ways to harness the potential of plants. Legumes are particularly important from a crop rotation perspective and for biodiversity in the landscape. 

– In sustainable agriculture, crops must be varied in order to achieve maximum productivity and sustainability. Spring and autumn sowing needs to be mixed with perennial crops to create an environment where weeds and harmful insects cannot adapt and cause damage, says Pär-Johan Lööf. 

That is why the project involving ley crops, which is being conducted in collaboration with RISE, was launched with practical trials in the laboratory and at the test facility at Sötåsen Agricultural College in Västergötland. Knowledge and methods for producing ethanol, bio-oil and biogas from the fibres in forage crops already exist. For the past couple of years, trials have been underway to use a screw press to separate the protein in the plants from the fibres – before these are turned into fuel.  

By extracting the protein, you obtain a raw material that can be fed to pigs and chickens – animals that otherwise cannot utilise the protein in plants. 

– Their stomachs cannot break down grass and legumes in the same way as ruminants such as cows and sheep. However, they can absorb the protein if it is first extracted from the plants. 

New type of domestic feed raw material 

This extraction process could lead to a new type of domestic feed raw material – and, in the long term, even a new foodstuff for humans. 

– Today, a lot of imported protein raw materials are used, which poses sustainability challenges. We are also dependent on protein that is grown very far away and is therefore sensitive to world market prices, disruptions and unrest in the surrounding world, says Pär-Johan Lööf. 

– Instead, creating our own local production of proteins for our food-producing animals has many advantages, especially in the current global situation. It may even be possible to produce protein powder for human consumption in the future.   

RISE is a long-standing partner of Lantmännen and acts as an expert, primarily in process technology within the legume project. 

– It is fantastic to have RISE as a partner. Not only are they skilled in technology, but they are also skilled in collaboration to bring in expertise, both internally and externally. In addition, they are driven project managers who work in a focused manner that is appreciated in the industry, says Pär-Johan Lööf. 

– And they know how and where to apply for funding, both in Sweden and within the EU. 

The proportion of protein extracted centrally  

Lantmännen and RISE are now continuing their work to make the project commercially viable. There are still several issues to be resolved. These include the question of transport – how to get the feed from the production unit to the location where the animals are kept. And: 

– The most important factor for our success is the so-called yield, i.e. how much protein we manage to extract from the raw material. If the yield is too low, our business case will not hold up. This involves everything from methodology to which plant species is most suitable.  

Burgers, sausages and mince – made from soya, peas and beans. Today, we increasingly come across vegetarian options when browsing the chilled and frozen food supermarket sections. At least when visiting larger stores. And it is these burgers and other products similar to meat, known as meat analogues, that are popular with many consumers wanting to eat more vegetarian food. 

“We want to eat food that’s familiar, that we know how to cook and that tastes and feels like meat when chewed,” says Evelina Höglund, a researcher within Food Product Design at RISE. 

Höglund and her colleagues are striving to understand how plant-based proteins – primarily those found in peas and beans – behave together with fibre and other components. This knowledge is required to be able to create a fibrous texture resembling that of meat, since texture is just as important as taste.

Increased interest in Swedish ingredients 

“Many existing meat analogues are based on soya protein because it has practical properties, so there’s a wide range of soya-based ingredients on the market. We’ve also noticed an increasing interest in switching to Swedish ingredients, such as peas and beans. Although we produce a great deal of legumes in Sweden, we haven’t had any industries making ingredients from them. But we’re starting to see that now, which is positive,” says Höglund. 

As more plant-based products enter the market, we also see increasing interest in the nutritional quality of the burgers, sausages and mince made from them. 

Susanne Bryngelsson is a project manager at RISE with a focus on sustainable nutrition: 

“Some vegetarian products use fat sources that aren’t the most optimal when it comes to nutrition. They provide a good texture, but the end product isn’t particularly healthy. There are great opportunities to make a difference by choosing other ingredients. Salt content is also something that we look at.” 

Difficult for the body to absorb iron 

She underlines the fact that some nutrients found in these products may be bound or present in forms that the body is unable to use.  

“For example, many plant-based proteins contain high levels of phytic acid, which makes it difficult for the body to absorb iron.” 

Experience has taught Bryngelsson the importance of considering nutritional aspects at an early stage in the development projects that RISE pursues. One example is the Like:Meat project, which uses a fermentation process to increase nutritional quality. This technique helps, for example, by reducing phytic acid content. Like:Meat is funded by Vinnova and coordinated by RISE, with Lantmännen and Orkla as partners. 

Improved taste with mixed crops 

Back to Evelina Höglund. In her work, she has noticed the benefits of mixing different crops. For instance, in a project to develop a gluten-free pasta, Höglund and her colleagues mixed blue lupin with broad bean. This resulted in a better-tasting pasta than when using a single crop. 

“Another smart move is to mix legumes with cereals as they contain different types of amino acids, which can then complement one another,” Höglund explains. 

This summer saw the publication of the first systematic analysis of the nutritional quality of meat analogues on the Swedish market. It showed that while meat analogues generally have low saturated fat content and relatively high fibre content, they also have high salt content. The study was conducted within the FINEST project, which is funded by Formas with RISE as the coordinating partner. 

Say the word agriculture and most people think of cows, fields and tractors. However, just like any other sector, agriculture is making great progress within digitalisation. 

“We’ll still see cows and fields and meadows, but think sensors, drones and tablets as well for a more accurate picture,” says Frida Sporre. 

Better data for farmers’ decisions 

An important part of agricultural digitalisation entails offering farmers better data for their decisions, such as by means of sensors for measuring the water and nutrient content of soil for improved water and fertiliser use.  

“This way, we can optimise production and increase harvests. This helps strengthen competitiveness in the sector, which we consider extremely important,” says Sporre. 

However, farmers do not work alone. Instead, they are part of a large network of suppliers, advisors, government bodies and other stakeholders. All involved need to be able to share data in a simple and secure manner, and this was the starting point when in 2020 the Swedish Board of Agriculture received a government mandate to initiate a feasibility study to investigate the possibilities of creating a national platform for sharing such data.    

“This way, we could create the necessary infrastructure to make it easier for the industry to share data,” says Sporre.  

Built a testbed together 

As part of the feasibility study, two external partners were enlisted, including RISE, which had previously worked with the Swedish Board of Agriculture on building an agricultural digitalisation testbed in Uppsala. 

“There were several reasons why we wanted to continue working with RISE even on the feasibility study for the data platform. Firstly, we knew that they had relevant knowledge about both agriculture and digitalisation,” says Sporre. 

Moreover, the fact that RISE is an independent research institute was also important to the Swedish Board of Agriculture in its choice of partner.  

“We needed to be sure that our partner was neutral and focused on society’s best interests. Plus, as work progressed, we’d noticed that RISE is extremely committed, is easy to work with and has an extensive network. Their expertise and ability to ask the right questions greatly helped make this feasibility study possible.” 

Independent partner key 

RISE's most important role was to be this independent party with the deep expertise in digitisation that the Swedish Board of Agriculture itself lacked. In addition, RISE was able to bring in experience from other industries in which other parts of RISE were involved, such as the experience from the work of municipalities to create coordinated data management instead of everyone running their own race. 

Next step – AI 

The feasibility study resulted in a call for proposals, and the work to build the data platform is now well under way. However, this does not mean the end of the partnership between RISE and the Swedish Board of Agriculture. 

“We’re working together in several areas, such as on a project to see how AI can simplify agriculture,” says Anna Rydberg. 

RISE and the Swedish Board of Agriculture are also working together on a project called Agrifood Data Workshop (ADW), which is focused on developing methods and tools for sharing data both securely and lawfully.  

“Thanks to its broad network, RISE can identify and channel much of what is happening in the rest of the world, and this offers the Swedish Board of Agriculture insights we wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” Sporre ends. 

The City of Malmö is one of Sweden’s leading municipalities when it comes to the climate transition, although they do not do everything themselves but rather engage outside help as well. This included the municipality signing an innovation partnership agreement with RISE in December 2021. This entails RISE helping the City of Malmö with many different projects, such as investigating the challenges preventing them from achieving a fossil-free electricity supply or greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations.

One of the assignments that has already been completed is an investigation showing how the City of Malmö can cut its climate impact by identifying possible carbon sinks.

“A carbon sink is a function or a process in which carbon dioxide is captured from the air and stored,” says Tora Råberg, a researcher at RISE’s Agrifood unit.

She headed the work with the report, and in doing so enlisted the help of many different colleagues.

“I was the coordinator of an entire team here at RISE, with each member an expert in their particular field. This meant that we had access to broad specialist knowledge, ranging from how to calculate carbon storage in wooden structures to what actually happens chemically during pyrolysis when carbon is not fully combusted.”

Many different opportunities

The various opportunities and solutions presented in the report show great breadth. The use of bio-based materials in new builds is expected to offer the greatest opportunities for creating negative emissions, such as by using wood instead of concrete. Almost as much potential is shown by an agricultural transition within crop cultivation, with a carbon sink comprised of a larger carbon store in the form of biochar and increased humus content in soil. Together, these two represent more than eighty percent of the potential available to the municipality.

“This report is based solely on current conditions in Malmö and the surrounding area, and we hope that it will provide an important building block in the decisions that the city makes concerning carbon sinks.”

Survey of technological maturity

However, it is not only potential carbon sinks that have been identified. With the help of colleagues at RISE, Råberg has also surveyed the maturity of the technology needed to realise these carbon sinks.

“We’ve also looked at the cost per CO₂ equivalent, the scalability of the solutions, and the potential spinoff effects they could offer, such as increases in biodiversity and improvements in soil structure. All of this has been possible thanks to RISE’s interdisciplinary approach.”

Moreover, the expert knowledge that RISE contributes is greatly appreciated by the City of Malmö.

“Naturally, those of us working at the Environmental Department are specialists but producing a report like this requires even greater expertise,” says Gunilla Andersson, a project manager at the City of Malmö.

“Since our innovation partnership with RISE was already in place, it was natural to turn to them, as RISE has that greater expertise in a number of different areas.”

Scientific basis

Moreover, Andersson underlines that it was important that the report was produced on the basis of the scientific method.

“We don’t have the research expertise, databases or resources available to RISE, so this partnership has been of great value to us. Now it’s simply a matter of applying the results to our reality.”