Will examine historical grain flows in Sweden

For centuries, the Swedish population subsisted mainly on barley and rye. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Martin Andersson will study how Sweden’s need for grain was ensured between 1550 and 1750, and how the rise in social inequality and the era’s climate change impacted food security.

Before the industrial revolution, the availability of grain was a matter of life and death. Bread and porridge were essential for fulfilling people’s daily energy requirements, regardless of class.

Dr Martin Andersson at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), in Uppsala, will study how grain flowed through Sweden from 1550 to 1750, a period in which the country underwent major changes. The government had a belligerent foreign policy, with Sweden conquering both fertile agricultural land and important trading centers on the other side of the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the population grew rapidly, while the climate became colder and wetter, resulting in poor harvests. Sweden thus went from exporting grain to becoming dependent on imports.

Using AI, Martin Andersson will analyze data about the grain trade in customs and court records, as well as in the state’s ledgers. His aim is to understand what the government did to secure grain supplies and the consequences for different areas of Sweden and for different social groups. He will also investigate how grain was milled, baked or brewed before reaching consumers.

Photo: Patrik Lundin