Focus area:

Johanna has a research interest in new systems of multifunctional agriculture and the use of ecosystem services as management tools in such systems. Methods for multi-criteria assessments of ecosystem services in agro-ecosystem are within the field of her work. She is the Swedish representative in the general assembly of EURAF (European Agroforestry Federation) and a board member of the newly establish organisation Agroforestry Sweden. Part of her time she is dedicated to education as responsible for the Culinary Arts and Ecology program at Örebro University and she is engaged in science communication in recurring public presentations concerning food, future food systems and environment within the research plattform 'Måltidsekologiskt Forum'.

Background:

PhD in Agronomy at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences(2000).  Researcher at the Centre for sustainable agriculture  and the Department of Urban and Rural Devlopment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (2000 - 2011). Koordinator for the Swedish Participatory Learning and Action Research (PLAR) project conducting research and development of Swedish agroforestry system (2012 - 2016). Read more about Johanna's project on potential of agroforestry systems in Sweden here.

Relevant publications:

Björklund, J. & Johansson, B. 2010. Assessing multifunctionality in relation to resource use – a holistic approach to measure efficiency developed by participatory research. Konferensen “Building sustainable rural futures”, International Farming System Research (IFSA) i Wien den 4 – 7 juli, 2010.

Milestad, R., Ahnström, J. & Björklund, J. 2010 . Essential multiple functions of farms in rural communities and landscapes. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. [online]

Eksvärd, K. & Björklund, J. I 2010. Is PLAR (Participatory learning and action research) a sufficient approach for the purpose of supporting transitions for sustainable agriculture? A case study from Sweden. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 2(9):179-190.

Björklund J., Hailu Araya, Edwards, S., Goncalves, A., Höök, K., Lundberg, J., & Medina, C. 2012. Ecosystem-based agriculture combining production and conservation – a viable way to feed the world in the long term? Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 36(7): 824-855.

Björklund, J. & Johansson, B. 2012. Assessing multifunctionality in relation to resource use – a holistic approach to measure efficiency, developed by participatory research. I: Marta-Costa, A. A. & Soares da Silva, E L. D. G. Methods and Procedures for Building Sustainable Farming Systems. Pp.161-173 Springer Publishing. Dordrecht.

Ahnström, J. Bengtsson, J. Berg, Å. Hallgren, L., Boonstra, J.W. & Björklund, J. 2013. Farmers' Interest in Nature and Its Relation to Biodiversity in Arable Fields. International Journal of Ecology, vol. 2013, Article ID 617352, 9 pages, 2013. doi:10.1155/2013/617352.

Björklund, J., Eksvärd, K. & Schaffer, C. 2014. Assessing ecosystem services in perennial intercropping systems – participatory action research in Swedish modern agroforestry. In: Schobert, H., Riecher, M.-C., Fischer, H. Aenis, T. & Knierim (eds.). The 11th European IFSA Group Symposium, 1-4 April 2014, Berlin, Germany. Farming systems facing global challenges: Capacities and strategies.

Belfrage, K., Björklund, J. & Salomonsson, L. 2015. Effects of Farm Size and On-Farm Landscape Heterogeneity on Biodiversity—Case Study of Twelve Farms in a Swedish Landscape. Agroecology and Sustainable Food System, 39(2):170-188. (DOI:10.1080/21683565.2014.967437)

Find more info and publications here.