Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 74
Göran Christiansson and / och
Jona Elfdahl grafting chestnuts /
som ympar äkta kastanj. Stillbild
från filmen / Snapshot from the
film / Stillbild från filmen Growing
a nut forest/orchard at “BOAT IN
THE FOREST - Harbour for radical
nomads” (länk/link).
has over time transformed into the efficiency machine
that modern agriculture represents today, where all
areas are pushed to their limits to maximise yields.
However, this progressiveness has come at a high cost.
Today, we know that agriculture plays a significant
role in both greenhouse gas emissions and the loss
of species, but also in the eutrophication of the Baltic
Sea. It is clear that we must change the ways in which
we produce food to prepare ourselves for the future
that lies ahead.
When examining future dietary habits and sustainable
food production, nuts emerge as a key component.
Their nutritious composition and low carbon footprint
make them an attractive resource in the struggle to
balance nutritional needs with environmental considerations. Interestingly, with a strategic incorporation
of nuts into the diet, we can bring about a significant
change in the sustainability of our food production. A
comprehensive study conducted for the World Health
Organization (WHO) reveals that inadequate nut
intake constitutes the third-largest health risk related
to diet in the EU. The study even emphasises that it is
more important to consume sufficient nuts and seeds
rich in healthy fats than eat legumes, or than to reduce
the intake of sodas [50, 51].
To understand what this transition would look like, we
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need to quantify the necessary changes. To cover half
of our calorie needs with nuts, we would need about
90 kg of starchy nuts and 18 kg of fatty nuts per person per year. This is a realistic change, given the many
benefits nuts offer in terms of nutrition and climate
impact.
A move towards sustainable agriculture does not have
to be a solely rural affair. Cities, with their densely
populated characteristics, can be the hub of a new
era of food production. By growing nuts in urban
areas, we can create more sustainable and self-sufficient food systems. Nut trees are insensitive to air
pollution and efficient in confined spaces and therefore fit well into the urban environment.
Finally, as we look to the future, our forest landscape
must also be reassessed. Spruce plantations, once
seen as a source of stability, now stand as symbols of
vulnerability in a changing climate. It is time to phase
them out and invest in a diversified forest ecosystem.
By facilitating the migration of tree species, we can
create forest areas that are more robust and adapted
to the new climate.
Integrating nuts into our diet and agriculture is an
important key to a more sustainable and resilient
future. Through agroforestry and urban gardens, we
