Emil Sandström
In recent years, a growing number of people have chosen to leave urban life behind in pursuit of a new existence in the countryside. This counter-urban trend includes individuals and households seeking to reconnect with nature, cultivate for self-sufficiency, and embrace alternative ways of life. Often referred to as the “back-to-the-land movement” (in Swedish, gröna vågen or självhushållarrörelsen) this phenomenon represents more than a simple retreat from the city—it is part of a broader transformation of rural livelihoods and sustainability practices.
In my docent lecture, I will examine the back-to-the-land movement in light of discussions on sustainability and rural futures, offering new insights into how this migration phenomenon intersects with rural change. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data—including ‘migration letters’ and a national survey’ on back-to-the landers — I will highlight key characteristics of the movement, exploring participants’ motivations, practices, geographical dispersal, underlying ideals, and overall livelihood conditions. Against this backdrop, I will discuss the movement’s role in shaping new rural-urban interfaces and its potential for fostering rural change.
While often framed as a response to climate concerns and as a rejection of modern capitalist urban life, the back-to-the-land movement is not merely a nostalgic return to a simpler rural existence. Rather, it represents a reimagining of rurality—blending tradition with innovation to actively reshape rural life. I call this retrotopia —an utopian vision rooted in the past that serves as a guiding force in an unruly world.
The movement, however, embodies a paradox: while deeply committed to sustainability and rural revitalization, back-to-the-landers often operate outside formal policy frameworks, limiting their broader impact. Unlike conventional farmers who mobilize in protests against economic and environmental pressures, back-to-the-landers engage in quieter, prefigurative forms of resistance—creating alternative food systems rather than overtly confronting existing ones. Their everyday practices, typically rooted in alternative ecological farming and self-sufficiency practices, serve as powerful critiques of mainstream food production, at the same time that their contributions to agrobiodiversity and rural economies frequently go unrecognized by policy.
With the above in mind, I will argue that the movement’s potential to contribute to rural change lies primarily in its everyday struggles, rather than in overt political action. This raises questions about pathways to systemic change and the role of grassroots initiatives in shaping more sustainable food systems and rural futures. By exploring these dynamics, this lecture will offer new perspectives on the movement’s significance and potential to contribute to rural futures. The lecture will conclude with an outline of some of my plans for future research.