UNHIDE Agroforestry - A Knowledge Exchange Latvia- Sweden 2023-25 - Report - Page 35
teacher, and the lease had just been renewed for
another five years.
In 2025, Anders became the first person in Sweden to apply for “self-entry” under the nut crop
code. To pursue the case, he has engaged legal
representation at the Tenancy Board (Arrendenämnden). The process is ongoing.
When the tree systems are expanded into the
open fields, the main crop will be seed-sown walnuts, interplanted with fast-growing nurse trees
such as alder and poplar, which will later be
selectively thinned. It is, Anders notes, a mission
that will last the rest of his life.
While awaiting substantial nut harvests—the
current yields are primarily used for propagation
and household consumption—the system already
contributes modestly to self-sufficiency through
hunting, hens, fruits, and berries.
Sweet chestnut is an energy-dense food due to its
high carbohydrate content. In Italy, it has traditionally been processed into bread and pasta or used
in stews, and was historically recommended before
periods of heavy physical labor.
“There is always a poem to con-
template or a thought-provoking idea
to follow when talking with Anders.
Departing from Frans Vera’s Forest
and Pasture Hypothesis—the idea that
open and semi-open forest pastures
dominated post-glacial temperate
Europe—we once concluded, during
a road trip, that Western societies
favored grass and bacteria over my-
corrhiza in order to feed populations
mobilized for war. This led to monocropped grains. Eventually, gluten
outsmarted our civilization; we
became dependent, and thus tied to
the industrial economy. Gluten-free
Sweet chestnuts, emerged in our
minds as a perfect crop for
emancipation.” - Maja Lindström Kling
