Stefan Schüller, a PhD student at LUCSUS, secured 150,000 SEK through Sustainable Idea Exploration to bridge a critical gap in perennial grain research: what happens after the grain leaves the farm? While the larger ERC project he is part of has mainly investigated the environmental benefits of crops like Kernza®—a perennial grain with deep roots—Schüller's grant focused on the consumer side. In close collaboration with local bakers and brewers, he explored the potential of new food products made from the grain. Although EU regulations on novel foods currently still prohibit their commercialisation, Kernza products have been consumed in the U.S. for over a decade.
Perennial grains represent a fundamental shift from conventional agriculture. Unlike annual crops such as wheat, maize, and soya that must be resown every year—taking a toll on soil health, resulting in nutrient leaching, and causing significant greenhouse gas emissions—Kernza® is planted once but harvested for several consecutive years. Its deep roots have the potential to bind carbon, reduce erosion, and improve soil health whilst requiring little fertilisation, no tilling, and less labour.
Yet agricultural benefits alone don't guarantee adoption. For Schüller, the flexible funding has proved transformative in bridging the gap between 'field and fork'. "As a PhD student, it is an opportunity to develop something on my own outside the bigger project and my supervisors," he notes. The grant enabled genuine transdisciplinary work—compensating food innovators to experiment with Kernza® bread and beer, gathering consumer feedback in an experimental setup, and even funding a baker's conference ticket to talk about his experiences of working with the new grain. "It was great to have flexible funding that I could decide how to spend," says Schüller.
The early results are promising. Testers describe bread made from Kernza as having great a rye-like taste and Schüller thinks beer "turned out really good." Such practical insights may prove crucial in determining whether perennial grains can move from agricultural promise to general consumer acceptance.
Sustainable Idea Exploration- Apply by November 24!
Ideas from Lund University could be important pieces of the puzzle in the transition to a sustainablesociety, maybe you have an idea on how your research could make additional impact.
The 'Sustainable Idea Exploration' call is an opportunity for researchers at Lund University to explore the innovative potential of their research and finance activities outside the scope of existing research projects. Its aim is to support the development of early innovative ideas from research projects that can contribute to sustainability. Granted proposals receive funding up to 150 000 SEK. Sustainable Idea Exploration is open for applications until November 24, 2025.
It is funded by Lund University’s Sustainability Fund, which is run in a collaboration between LU Innovation, Sustainability Forum and LU Estates.
To apply, you need to fill in the application form and mail it in no later than November 24th.
Digital info sessions with Q&A will be held via Zoom at the following times:
- 20 October. Time: 12-12:45
- 12 November. Time: 12-12:45
To participate in the info meeting, send an email to sustainabilityfund [at] innovation [dot] lu [dot] se to receive a Zoom invitation.
More info about Sustainable Idea Exploration: https://www.innovation.lu.se/en/sustainable-idea-exploration.