Åsa Berggren

My research explores pressing ecological questions - questions that shape what our future might look like, both here on Earth and beyond. A large part of my work focuses on insects and the roles they can play in sustainable food systems. In a well-designed system, insects are healthy, have minimal environmental impact, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling and resource conversion. There’s still much to learn, but the potential of insects to help us rethink how we use resources gives me hope for more resilient and regenerative systems.

I also study wild insect populations to understand how species respond to anthropogenic change, and how we might counteract biodiversity loss and species extinction. This includes exploring what makes conservation introductionssuccessful, how invasive species spread, and how land use and landscape change affect insect populations and species communities.

My research methods span field experiments, genetic analyses, predictive modelling, and theory development. I work closely with a wide range of collaborators: scientists, local communities, policymakers, and industry partners, to bridge research and application.

Much of my work is transdisciplinary and future-oriented. Since 2019, I’ve been part of a team developing activities that support transformative societal change, and I’m one of the founders of the Society of Transformative Conversations. 

You can find my publications on Researchgate: ResearchGate

Main projects currently running are:

Insects in Circular Systems – on Earth
Sustainable food production means thinking about the whole system - from inputs and outputs to long-term ecological function. One way to move toward circular systems is to design processes where resources are reused and waste is minimised or eliminated. Insects offer a powerful opportunity here: they can convert materials we can’t eat, such as agricultural byproducts or food waste, into nutritious food or feed, contributing to nutrient flows and recycling within the system. This not only reduces land use pressure, but also opens up new possibilities for food production in environments where traditional agriculture is not viable. This project aims to deepen our ecological understanding of insect–plant–microbe-based circular systems on Earth. By building knowledge around how these systems function ecologically, spatially, and metabolically, we can design more resilient and efficient food systems - ones that move away from today’s linear, extractive flows and toward regenerative systems that operate within ecological limits.

Insects in Space – Bioregenerative Life Support
Future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond will require closed-loop life support systems that can produce food in constrained environments without relying on regular resupply. Insects are emerging as a promising biological solution: they are nutrient-dense, efficient to farm, and capable of bioconverting inedible biomass into food. This project explores how insects could support sustainable food production under space conditions. We examine how species already approved for human consumption respond to stressors such as microgravity and radiation, and how they can be transformed into safe, appetising and nutritious food products. Our goal is to contribute to the development of bioregenerative life support systems for long-duration space travel, while also generating knowledge that can improve circular food systems on Earth.

Insects as a Food Source – Sustainability & Health
Insects offer promise as a food source, but insect-based food systems are not inherently sustainable. To ensure both sustainability and animal health we need to understand how different rearing conditions affect insect physiology and ecosystem functioning. Our studies investigate how individual insects respond to husbandry variables and link these responses to animal development, health and broader sustainability criteria. As production systems scale up, insects are increasingly exposed to suboptimal conditions, novel pathogens and disease pathways. We examine the microorganisms present in reared insects and how these affect insect health and behaviour. This knowledge is critical for designing sustainable rearing systems that align with circular economy principles and meet future food production demands.

I have extensive experience teaching at all levels of higher education and continue to teach and supervise with great joy. My students, whether they are just starting their university journey or are university teachers themselves, are a vital part of my daily work. Over time, some of them become colleagues in both teaching and research which is a privilege I value.

Over the years, I have coordinated 21 undergraduate courses and 16 postgraduate courses, and served as a pedagogical developer responsible for 9 courses for university teachers.

Pedagogy for University Teachers
Since 2023, I have been teaching pedagogy to university teachers at the Unit for Educational Development, SLU. I am course coordinator and main teacher for the following courses:

• GCUA: Education for Sustainable Development (English)
• Teaching for Sustainable Development (English)
• Grundkurs i högskolepedagogik – Introduction to University Teaching (Swedish)

I also teach on:

• Doctoral Supervision (English & Swedish)
• Fortsättningskurs i högskolepedagogik – Advanced University Teaching (Swedish)

These courses focus on sustainability in education, pedagogical development, and academic teaching practice, supporting university teachers at different stages in their careers.

Postgraduate Teaching
I am one of the coordinators of the research school "Ecology – its basics and applications", where we support early-career researchers in building strong ecological and transdisciplinary foundations.

Undergraduate Teaching
I am the main organiser and teacher for the course Naturvårdsbiologi – Conservation Biology (BI1244).

In addition, I also teach on:

• Tillämpad naturvårdsbiologi – Applied Conservation Biology (BI1318
• Evolution och ekologi – Evolution and Ecology (BI1393)
• Grundläggande zoologi, evolution och husdjurens historia – Basic Zoology, Evolution and the History of Domesticated Animals (BI1312)

Teaching recognition

In 2023, I was appointed Distinguished University Teacher (Excellent lärare) at SLU, in recognition of both my pedagogical skill as a teacher and my ongoing development as an educator. The recognition also reflects the pedagogical development work I have led within the courses I have been responsible for.

Earlier in my career, I was part of the teaching group awarded the SLU Team Teaching Prize in 2014, which recognised excellence in collaborative teaching. During my time as Director of PhD Studies, our department was awarded Best Department for PhD Education (2006), an honour based on PhD students’ own evaluations of the support and learning environment.