On an unexpectedly sunny and warm afternoon in May, Aziliz Le Rouzo, an agroecology researcher at SEI and I arrived at Alnarp’s agroecology farm, after a long and sweaty walk from the nearest train station. When we got to the farm, tucked between old buildings and greenery, it was like entering a place of calm and serenity. We were greeted by Mariana Forero, a law graduate from Colombia who joined the farm as an active volunteer for two years. She recently got employed there, and nowadays, she spends her days working on the farm, playing a pivotal role in keeping the business alive and flourishing. 

From roots to riches: the birth of Alnarp’s agroecology farm 

While we were waiting for another farm worker, Mariana started telling us the interesting story of how and why the farm was created in the first place. It all started in 2021, when a group of agroecology students at SLU Alnarp felt they needed space for practical applications of what they were learning. The farm could be built with grant funding and support from fellow students and faculty members. Today, three years later, the farm has grown bigger and keeps expanding in harmony with the agroecology approach and its principles.

Alnarp’s farm is not only a place where agroecological practices are used, but it also provides a space for connecting with the surrounding community. This is done by CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscriptions, hosting and participating in events as well as welcoming visitors and volunteers to the farm. CSA facilitates a space for consumers and producers to exchange with fair prices and transparency. The farm workers have also decided to implement solidarity shares, meaning that students and people with less economic resources can subscribe for cheaper, which other subscribers make up for by paying a bit more. This opens the farm to the locals, allowing those interested in agroecology and sustainable food systems to get involved, and underlines the broader dimensions of agroecology, at field, farm and food systems levels.