Portrait of Linda Groot Nibbelink in the Alnarp park.
Photo: Alva Mårtensson.

Linda explores how heirloom vegetables could strengthen Swedish food security

News published:  18/05/2026

Linda Groot Nibbelink explores how Nordic heirloom vegetables could secure our food supply. She and seven other doctoral students contribute to knowledge development in the field of food through the LTV faculty's investment in the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production.

At the Department of Biosystems and Technology, doctoral student Linda Groot Nibbelink is researching the potential of Nordic heirloom vegetables to strengthen Swedish food security. 

In the project, she is conducting field studies with varieties from NordGen's gene bank in Alnarp to evaluate which ones could be suitable for commercial cultivation. 

An advantage of the heirloom varieties, according to Linda Groot Nibbelink, is that they are less dependent on imported inputs compared with modern varieties. It is also possible to save your own seeds from the crops, instead of buying new ones every year. 

The heirloom varieties therefore have the potential to increase Sweden's self-sufficiency in vegetable production, which is currently low. 

– It's important to think about what happens if a crisis occurs. How can we ensure that we are able to produce enough vegetables even if borders are closed?

A doctoral student portrait of Linda Groot Nibbelink is now published on the centre's website.

Read the text here: Nordic heirloom vegetables could prove vital in times of crisis: "It is a vulnerable system"

Centre for Sustainable Primary Production

The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production was established in Alnarp in 2025. The centre is a co-funding arrangement between the LTV faculty and Sparbanken Skåne through its owner foundation Finn.

Through the faculty's investment, funding is provided for, among other things, eight doctoral positions whose research will contribute to knowledge development in sustainable primary production in the field of food.

Presentations of doctoral students

All doctoral students will be presented over the coming months.

Read all portraits here: Doctoral students

Vete

The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production

Through excellent research and education, the centre will collaborate with industry and public actors to develop, disseminate and make use of knowledge and new solutions for a transition that balances economic, ecological and social sustainability. Primary production refers to the first stage of the food chain, which often takes place at farm level in agricultural and horticultural enterprises. It includes, for example, the production of fruit and vegetables, cereals, rapeseed, legumes, and meat, eggs and dairy.

Eight doctoral students

  • Adrien Vial: Can the integration of ecological theory with quantitative genetics transform disease resistance breeding?
    Primary supervisor: Aakash Chawade, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Ananta Aacharya: Crop cultivation in combination with solar panels on arable land – How does it contribute to the future need for food and energy in a profitable way?
    Primary supervisor: Daniel Nilsson, Department of Biosystems and Technology.
  • Andrew Gallagher: Transformative governance for a sustainable food system.
    Primary supervisor: Fredrik Fernqvist, Department of People and Society.
  • Laurène Mailhan: From Stench to Scent – Genetic strategies towards bunt-free organic wheat.
    Primary supervisor: Therese Bengtsson, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Linda Groot Nibbelink: The potential of Nordic heirloom vegetables for improved national food security and ability to cope with future climate changes.
    Primary supervisor: Lars Mogren, Department of Biosystems and Technology.
  • Luboš Říha: Towards a sustainable future with reduced input through enhanced starch yield and tailored starch qualities.
    Primary supervisor: Mariette Andersson, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Mina Nešić: Exploring seed quality traits and their genetic regulation in Swedish protein crops for enhanced diversity and nutritional stability.
    Primary supervisor: Cecilia Hammenhag, Department of Plant Breeding.
  • Yizhi Zhang: Climate impact mitigation and resource use efficiency of rooftop greenhouses for urban food production.
    Primary supervisor: Thomas Prade, Department of Biosystems and Technology.

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