{"id":53824,"date":"2019-09-28T16:15:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-28T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?post_type=project&p=53824"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:22:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T14:22:18","slug":"perennial-crops","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/projects\/perennial-crops","title":{"rendered":"Perennial Crops \u2013 From Research to the Future of Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At Tors\u00e5ker Farm, perennial grains such as Kernza are being tested for their potential to contribute to more sustainable farming systems. Photo: Axfoundation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The Issue<\/h2>\n
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Today’s agriculture faces several challenges. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and declining soil health are placing growing demands on how crops are grown. At the same time, agriculture is dominated by annual crops that require repeated tillage, which can contribute to soil erosion, nutrient losses, and greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

More resilient farming systems require new solutions. But introducing new crops is not only about research and plant breeding. It also requires knowledge about cultivation, enabling regulations, collaboration among stakeholders, and a market that makes it possible to put them into practice.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Perennial crops have the potential to fundamentally change how we grow grains \u2013 from a system that is plowed every year to one that builds soil fertility over time.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Maria Lundesj\u00f6, Project Manager, Future Food, Axfoundation<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Our Solution<\/h2>\n
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Perennial crops can contribute to more resilient farming systems by complementing today’s agriculture with new ways to use and manage farmland. With deeper, longer-lived root systems, they can improve soil health, reduce the risk of erosion and nutrient losses, and contribute to increased carbon storage in the soil. Because the crops can be harvested for several years, the need for tillage can decrease, as can the use of certain inputs.<\/p>\n

Together, these characteristics can strengthen the resilience of agriculture and create new opportunities for a sustainable and competitive farming sector over the long term.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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At Tors\u00e5ker Farm, Axfoundation is also testing the cultivation of perennial crops such as chicory to promote soil health. Photo: Axfoundation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Our Contribution<\/h2>\n
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Axfoundation takes a long-term approach to creating the conditions for perennial crops to be used in practice. Through field trials, collaboration across research, farming, and business, and value chain development, we test solutions and remove barriers \u2013 from cultivation and plant breeding to the market.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Projects<\/h2>\n
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Axfoundation’s work on perennial crops brings together several initiatives that collectively help develop, test, and scale new solutions. Read more about our projects on perennial crops:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Perennial grains \u2013 An Agricultural Revolution<\/h4>\n

Axfoundation works with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences<\/a> (SLU) to advance the development of perennial grains. At Tors\u00e5ker Farm, we create the conditions for long-term field trials where new grains can be developed and evaluated under practical farming conditions.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Perennial Crops \u2013 Pathways to Wider Adoption<\/h4>\n

Axfoundation works to influence the conditions that determine whether perennial grains can move from research to practical cultivation and use. This means identifying barriers, bringing relevant stakeholders together, and fostering dialogue about the changes needed in areas such as regulation, food safety, cultivation, and markets.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Contact<\/h2>\n