FUNDING
Centre receives substantial research funding on sustainable food production
The new funding will help the Stockholm Resilience Centre to establish a new research programme to identify key actions, leverage points and actors in the transformation of food systems. Photo: T. Mossholder/Unsplash
IKEA Foundation grants 30 million SEK for continued research on more sustainable and just food systems. Gullspång Invest and its subsidiary Gullspång Re:food contribute additional 5 million SEK
- The IKEA Foundation will fund the centre with 30 million SEK over a five-year period
- Gullspång Invest and its subsidiary Gullspång Re:food have together with the IKEA Foundation funded the establishment of a professorship in Professor in Sustainability Science
- The new funding will help the Stockholm Resilience Centre to establish a new research programme
SOLIDIFYING SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS: The centre has been given a major opportunity to establish its scientific work on finding more sustainable and equitable ways to produce and consume food.
The IKEA Foundation has announced it will fund the centre with 30 million SEK over a five-year period to develop scientific insights that can help transform global food systems to strengthen the resilience of our planet.
In addition, Gullspång Invest and its subsidiary Gullspång Re:food have together with the IKEA Foundation funded the establishment of a professorship in Professor in Sustainability Science, with a focus on Sustainable Food Systems. Centre deputy science director Beatrice Crona has been appointed to this position. Crona joins centre director Line Gordon who earlier in 2021 also was appointed Professor in Sustainability Science with a focus on Sustainable Food Systems, the Curt Bergfors Professorship.
Crona’s work will focus on exploring and further developing the knowledge required to work towards a sustainable food system, particularly on aquatic food.
Triggering action
With ten billion people to feed by 2050, the world urgently needs to transform its food systems to be more regenerative, nutritious and just.
The new funding will help the Stockholm Resilience Centre to establish a new research programme to identify key actions, leverage points and actors in the transformation of food systems. The research will show how gastronomy and culinary craft can inspire more diverse and resilient food systems, and make them fair for everyone.
Over the coming five years we want to present insights on how food system change can improve. We know that food systems need to change and there are currently substantial efforts in policy, business and civil society trying to make this happen. A success would be that our research informs such action.
Henrik Österblom, centre science director
Adds centre director Line Gordon: “We are excited about this opportunity to develop research that can improve both health of people and the planet, by working on linking science, innovation and imagination to find future pathways to more sustainable and resilient food systems.”
Setting a research and action agenda
The IKEA Foundation is funded by INGKA Foundation, owner of the Ingka Group of companies. The foundation is independent from the retail business with a sole focus on creating brighter lives on a liveable planet through philanthropy and grantmaking.
Petra Hans, Head Agricultural Livelihoods, IKEA Foundation, says: “The IKEA Foundation is delighted to partner with the Stockholm Resilience Centre to develop a research and action agenda that can help uncover the complex dynamics between people, planet and food systems. This will deliver solutions to make people and planet more resilient."
