Innovation across borders for sustainable food systems

The meeting at Malmö Rådhus was led by Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Chair of Malmö’s Municipal Council, together with representatives from the City of Malmö. SLU joined the discussions with experts Annie Drottberger and Ramesh Vetukuri, showcasing the university’s research and commitment to sustainable agriculture and the bioeconomy.

A highlight of the program was the delegation’s visit to SLU Alnarp, where they toured key facilities including the Biotron and the SITES research station at Lönnstorp. These facilities demonstrate SLU’s advanced infrastructure for plant and agricultural research, focused on sustainable food production and climate adaptation.

Creative solutions for global food systems

During the visit, SLU researchers and Japanese guests explored collaboration in areas such as crop protection, biobased materials, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and biocontrol. Discussions centered on how Swedish and Japanese partners can work together to create innovative, sustainable solutions for global food systems.

The SLU program was coordinated by Annie Drottberger (Operations Manager, SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Center for Sustainable Primary Production) together with Viveka Sernvi Hansson (SLU Holding), Håkan Schroeder (Operations Manager, Partnership Alnarp), Sven-Erik Svensson (Partnership Alnarp), Aakash Chawade (Prodean, Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Sciences, SLU), and Johannes Albertsson (Manager, Lönnstorp).

– This visit is an exciting step in building stronger links between Malmö and Tokyo, and highlights SLU’s role in driving international collaboration and innovation for a sustainable future, says Ramesh Vetukuri.