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Information and development within food service : a commuting municipality development to support its food entrepreneurs
Get PDFDetta examensarbete har genomförts i samverkan med Knivsta kommuns miljöenhet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur Knivsta kommun har utvecklats inom livsmedelsservice.
Både kvantitativa enkäter och öppna kommentarer från företagare inom Knivsta kommun användes. En retrospektiv longitudinell studie genomfördes för att undersöka hur kommunen har blivit betygsatt av kommunens företagare i en årlig kundundersökning under perioden 2019 till 2021.
Resultatet gav en översikt av servicen och förväntningarna från företagarna innan och under Covid-19 pandemin då digitalisering blev en viktig del av servicen. Överlag var företagarna nöjda med servicen. Till exempel under 2021 så betygsatte 59 % av företagarna
Knivsta kommun ”högt” inom information tillgänglig på deras hemsida, medan 2019 så var det endast 25 % av företagarna som betygsatte kommunen ”högt”. Dessutom fick Knivsta kommun högre betyg inom kommunikation, bemötande, kompetens och effektivitet 2021 än 2019. Mer forskning behövs för att kunna säkerställa framtida förbättringar inom kommunikation mellan företagare och Knivsta kommun.This study has been performed in a collaboration with Knivsta municipality’s environmental health unit. The purpose of this study was to examine how Knivsta municipality has developed within food service.
Both quantitative surveys and open comments from entrepreneurs of Knivsta municipality were used. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted to examine how the municipality has been rated by its entrepreneurs in an annual customer satisfaction survey during the period 2019 to 2021.
The results provided an overview of the service and expectations from entrepreneurs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic when digitalisation became an important part of the service. Generally, the entrepreneurs were satisfied with the service. For example, 59 % of entrepreneurs in 2021 rated Knivsta municipality as ”high” regarding information available on their website. In comparison, only 25 % of entrepreneurs rated Knivsta municipality as “high” in 2019. Moreover, communication, personal treatment, competence, accessibility, and efficiency of Knivsta municipality were also rated higher in 2021 than in 2019.
More research is, however, needed to ensure further improvement of communication between entrepreneurs and Knivsta municipality
Beröring av bomull och majs : påverkan på växtmorfologi och födopreferens hos en skadegörare
Get PDFPlants are constantly exposed to touch and mechanical stimuli in natural environments, from rain, wind, animals and plant neighbours. However, current knowledge and understanding of how touch physiologically affects plants are limited. This experimental study aimed to explore whether morphological responses such as changes in growth could be expressed in cotton and maize plants as a result of a mechanical touch treatment. Previous studies have also found that mechanical touch treatments can induce increased resistance. Following these implications, effect on feeding preference in a herbivore was also examined. The treatment consisted of brief daily sweeping with a soft brush on fully mature leaves for fourteen days. Plant height and biomass distribution were measured in cotton and maize. Trichome and epidermal gland density were compared between touch-treated and untreated cotton plants. A dual choice test was conducted on cotton using the generalist Egyptian Cotton Leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis).
The touch treatment affected morphology in both plant species. Plant height was greater in touch-treated maize but reduced in treated cotton. Treated cotton plants allocated more biomass to leaves compared to other plant parts than in control plants, while no such difference in distribution of biomass was found in maize. Observations of trichome and epidermal gland density indicated an increase of these in touch-treated plants. The larval dual choice test did not show any significant difference in feeding preference for any of the treatments. These results suggest that touch may elicit neighbour detection-related responses, but may not be a strong enough stimulus to induce herbivore-related plant defences.Växter utsätts ständigt för beröring och mekaniska stimuli i naturliga miljöer, från regn, vind, djur och angränsande växter. Men nuvarande kunskap och förståelse för hur beröring påverkar växter fysiologiskt är begränsad. Denna experimentella studie hade som syfte att undersöka huruvida morfologiska förändringar i tillväxt kunde uttryckas i bomulls- och majsplantor som ett resultat av en mekanisk beröringsbehandling. Vidare undersöktes effekter på födopreferens hos en växtskadegörare, då tidigare studier rapporterat inducerad resistens mot skadedjur som följd av mekanisk stimulans. Behandlingen bestod av daglig beröring med en mjuk borste på fullt utvecklade blad under två veckors tid. Planthöjd och biomassafördelning mättes i bomull och majs. Densitet av trikomer och epidermiska glander jämfördes mellan beröringsbehandlade och obehandlade bomullsplantor. Ett tvåvalstest utfördes på bomull med en generalistisk växtskadegörarlarv (Spodoptera littoralis).
Beröringsbehandlingen påverkade morfologin hos båda växtarterna. Plantorna var högre i behandlad majs men lägre i behandlad bomull jämfört med kontrollplantor. Behandlade bomullsplantor allokerade mer biomassa till blad jämfört med andra växtdelar än i kontrollplantor, medan ingen sådan skillnad i distribution av biomassa visades i majs. Observationer av trikomer och glander indikerade en ökning av dessa hos beröringsbehandlade bomullsplantor. Tvåvalstestet visade inte någon signifikant skillnad i födopreferens hos larven för någon av behandlingarna. Resultaten indikerar att beröring verkar kunna framkalla konkurrensliknande respons i växter, men är troligtvis inte en tillräckligt stark stimulans för att inducera växtförsvar mot herbivora skadegörare
Multifunctionality in a Micro Format : design of an urban pocket forest with focus on biodiversity and children’s access to nature
Get PDFMed den förtätning som många städer genomgår idag har möjligheterna för människor att komma i kontakt med naturen minskat. Barn och unga är en av de åldersgrupper som har förlorat mest daglig kontakt med natur. Samtidigt är det under barndomen extra viktig att vistas i gröna miljöer för att utveckla en positiv attityd till bevarandet av olika ekosystem och biologisk mångfald, även i vuxen ålder (Harvey 1990). Det är mycket som talar för att det finns ett behov av urbana skogar i svenska likväl som i internationella städer. I en förtätad stad skulle mikroskogar kunna vara en lösning för att säkerställa flera behov på en liten yta. Syftet med den här studien var därför att gestalta en prototyp för en mikroskog som både tar hänsyn till ekologiska värden i form av habitatfläckar samt sociala värden, som besöksmål för förskolor. I studien användes gestaltning som metod. Gestaltningen bestod av tre skeden: 1) Ett analysskede i vilket en kombination av litteratur och intervjuer användes för att bilda en kunskapsbas; 2) Ett syntesskede, i vilket gestaltningskriterier formuleras utifrån teoribakgrund och enkäter och idéer genererades utifrån en iterativ process; 3) Ett utvärderingsskede, i vilket idéer kring mikroskogar utvärderades. Utvärderingen skedde kontinuerligt, både i diskussionen och under idégenereringen. Studien resulterade i en prototyp för en multifunktionell mikroskog. Prototypen kan ses som en vidareutveckling av Miyawakimetoden med tillägget att skogen anpassats för förskolor. Förslaget består av en mikroskog uppdelad i tre mindre delar: en Miyawakiskog, en lekskog samt en plats för barngrupper att samlas vid. I förslaget presenteras även principer för hur skogen bör gestaltas. Gestaltningen har potential att generera inspiration för landskapsarkitekter som vill vidareutveckla idén om mikroskogar samt för landskapsarkitekter eller beslutsfattare som ämnar öka mängden urban skog i delar av städer som idag har mycket litet skog. Ämnet behöver dock studeras vidare för att inge en bild av mikroskogars fulla potential samt alternativa platser på vilka mikroskogar kan användas. Forskning saknas om Miyawakimetoden går att användas för att återskapa det fulla naturvärdet av kulturpåverkad skog eller gammal skog. Inför vidare studier föreslår jag även att man undersöker i vilka andra miljöer mikroskogar skulle kunna tillföra värden.In today's society, the decrease in daily contact with nature is a rising problem (Di Giulio et al. 2009). Urban forests are at risk of becoming a scarce resource, followed by an increase in pressure on the few remaining urban forests (Haaland & Konijnendijk van den Bosch. 2015). The fragmentation of urban forests has a strong negative effect on all organisms, including humans, since urban forests are important as green corridors, which serve as habitats for animals and a place for recovery and recreation for humans (Di Giulio et al. 2009). Amongst different age-groups, children are one of those in which daily contact has decreased the most (Soga & Gaston. 2016). In 2015, Uppsala municipality carried out a report which indicates an interest in reintroducing nature in parts of Uppsala, where there is a lack of urban forests. I believe that landscape architects play an important role in combining knowledge from different fields and finding creative solutions to the land-use issues that cities are facing. In a densely populated city, pocket forests could be a solution to ensure multiple needs in a small area. The purpose of this study was therefore to design a pocket forest that considers both ecological values in the form of stepping stones and social values, as visiting spots for preschools.
In the study, design was used as the main method. The design consisted of three stages; 1) the analysis stage in which a combination of literature and interviews was used to form a knowledge base; 2) the synthesis stage, in which design criterias were formulated based on the theoretical background and survey. During the synthesis, ideas were also generated through an iterative process; 3) The third and final stage was the evaluation stage, in which ideas about micro-forests were evaluated. The evaluation took place mainly in the discussion but also continuously during the idea generation.
The study resulted in a prototype for a multifunctional pocket forest. The design can be seen as a development of the Miyawaki method with the addition of adaptation for preschools. The result also includes plant selection for a Miyawaki forest applicable in Uppsala. The prototype has the potential of generating inspiration for planners, land-owners and decision-makers who want to increase the amount of urban forest in parts of cities that today have very little forest. However, the subject needs to be studied further in order to provide a better picture of the full potential of pocket forests and alternative places where they can be used. Furthermore, there is no research on whether the Miyawaki method can be used to recreate the full natural value of culturally influenced forest or old forest. The study also discussed whether the Miyawaki method is appropriate for the climate change that the world is facing
Flexibilitet i virkestransporter på järnväg : möjligheter och kostnader
Get PDFBehov av flexibilitet i virkesförsörjningen uppstår eftersom det är en dynamisk verksamhet. Störningar i tillverkningsprocessen kan ge förändring i efterfrågan, störningar i transporter kan ge förändrade behov från olika transportslag och störningar i anskaffning av virke ger nya flöden. Olika säsonger ger olika förutsättningar för bil- respektive järnvägstransporter av virke. Multimodala transporter ger konkurrensfördelar såsom en stabil transportkapacitet och en ökad buffertkapacitet. Denna studie undersöker hur virkestransporter på järnväg kan planeras flexibelt mot säsongsmönster för inkörning av virke till terminaler och för att minimera avvikelser i tågflödena. Syftet med studien var att identifiera möjligheter till flexibilitet i virkestransporter på järnväg samt analysera hur kostnaderna påverkades av flexibilitet.
Data inhämtades genom en fallstudie av SCA:s virkestransporter till och från Tövasystemets terminaler. Scenarier testades i optimeringsprogrammet Woodflow och utformades med kvantitativa data från transporterna och kvalitativt data från intervjuer med SCA och järnvägsoperatören. Resultatet i studien visade att det fanns möjligheter till både kortsiktig och långsiktig flexibilitet i virkestransporter på järnväg. Den långsiktiga flexibiliteten innebär förmågan att anpassa järnvägstransporterna utifrån förutsägbara variationer och osäkerheter. Den kortsiktiga flexibiliteten innebär förmågan att ändra lastningsterminal eller mottagare vid förändringar. År 2019–2020 hanterade Tövasystemet en långsiktig flexibilitet på 43% och en kortsiktig flexibilitet upp till 8%. I scenarioanalyserna reducerades sannolikheten med 8,5% att ett inställt tåg var till följd av lokproblem till en minskning av transportkostnaderna med 0,5%. Större systemlösningar för virkestransporter medför en strukturell flexibilitet att kunna anpassa tågplaneringen till säsongsvariationer i olika geografier, möta varierade volymbehov från tåg och minska risker för inställda tåg.The need for flexibility in wood supply is driven by the dynamic nature of the operating environment. Disturbances in markets or milling processes can lead to changes in demand while supply system disruptions can lead to changing needs for the different modes of transport. Disturbances in procurement could lead to new wood flows. Seasonal variation drives varying presumptions for road versus rail transport. In this context, multimodal transport systems provide competitive advantages such as stable transport capacity and an increased buffer capacity. This study examines how rail transport of roundwood can be planned more flexibly with respect to seasonal variation and rail system disruptions. The purpose of the study was to identify possibilities for flexibility in roundwood transport by rail and to analyze how costs were affected by an increased need for flexibility. In a case study of SCA rail transport, interviews with key functions were used to develop scenarios for testing in the WoodFlow optimization software.
The study demonstrated the degree of short-term and long-term flexibility available in a large multimodal wood supply system. Long-term flexibility refers to the ability to adapt rail transport based on predictable variations and uncertainties. Short-term flexibility refers to the ability to change the loading terminal or mill destination in case of changes. In 2019–2020, the SCA Tövasystem handled a long-term flexibility of 43% and a short-term flexibility of up to 8%. In the scenario analyzes, the probability for canceled rail deliveries (due to locomotive problems) was reduced by 8.5 % with no extra system costs (- 0.5%). Larger system solutions for rail transportation provide the structural flexibility necessary to meet both varying seasonal variations in different geographies, varying need for rail capacity and reduced risks for canceled rail deliveries
Embedding food system education into Swedish public schools – teachers’ perspectives
Get PDFModern, human driven food systems are putting pressure on the earth’s resources, exploiting societies and degrading land. Food security is at risk, while a progressing anthropogenic climate change will presumably reinforce these incidents. Children will be highly threatened by the consequences derived from unsustainable farming practices. This calls for action to educate and empower children to understand and tackle these challenges. In this context food system education (FSE) is a growing field. This study used food literacy as a concept, which if applied, can help children to make personal decisions that are beneficial for themselves in terms of health, but also on a social, environmental, economic and cultural level. Through seven, in-depth interviews with teachers from the compulsory school level in Sweden, the study aimed to explore how teachers perceive, practice, and wish to educate about food systems. According to the findings, the Swedish school curriculum already embeds relevant aspects that can be used to develop a stronger focus on FSE. The freedom of the teachers, to interpret parts of the curriculum individually, can be seen as a benefit to adapt and design interactive lessons. However, teachers are time constrained and sometimes do not have the competence nor availability of relevant teaching material to educate about complex food systems. A cross-curricular approach that integrates FSE throughout the school years and within different disciplines is suggested. In that way children get a holistic picture of food that also incorporates a sustainability dimension. It is furthermore recommended to create networks of people within the food industry who share their knowledge in school lessons, as it is already practiced in post-secondary education. However, future research is needed to examine how teachers could cope with a cross-curricular approach and what kind of training would be needed to make FSE lastingly thriving in Swedish schools
Unpacking taste
Get PDFWine’s context exceeds the story of pleasure and natural enchantment as it is also laden with conflict and controversy. Wine is part of contemporary discussions on globalization, class and postcolonialism, biodiversity and climate change. In a sense, wine does not only reflect nature, but wine also reflects and is embedded in its social context.
The narrative of wine is technical, mythical, historical, and cultural all at the same time. A large part is communicated through relationships. Narratives are spread through actors such as importers, sommeliers, and journalists. These relationships have also become a framing force on the field of wine as knowledge has become widely available. All actors individually construe narratives altering them as they reach consumers. Importers and consumers shape groups through the market creating subfields such as natural wine.
Natural wine started as a collective effort amongst small-scale actors to challenge the dominant discourse of conquering soil by technical effectiveness and instead reconnect and resonate with earth as a holistic system. This thesis establishes natural wine as a resistant force against the omnipresent consequences of modernity. Not a random cultural phenomenon but organized and deliberate. The success of natural wine on the market can be ascribed to how it correlates with a more general discourse on sustainability, environment, individualism, and a form of neo-romanticism. The narrative of being sensitive and connected to nature plays well with how consumerism demands goods to interplay with lifestyle choices. Wine is globalized and place bound at the same time. The connection to place and time make up the basis for traditions.
Recent research is calling for regulation of the term “natural wine”. However, establishing regulations while being negligent of how natural wine is discursively defined amongst stakeholders may lead to discrepancy between perception and regulation, leading to unwillingness to comply amongst actors within the social field of wine. This thesis explores the context and relationships of actors within the wine industry and how the actors who make up these relationships influence, construct, and share narratives concerning wine. The aim is to create a deeper understanding of how wine is socially constructed and how relationships are created.
The research is based on thick descriptions with perspectives of informants, the researcher’s observations from wine fairs, tastings, and travels in wine regions, as well as the contribution of narratives of wine literature. The intention is to concretize the social field of wine through an analytical lens of hermeneutics and structural phenomenology, disclose how external narratives influence informants and demonstrate how storytelling is constructed and construed through relationships to create an understanding of the reality that the modern vigneron operates in
Age demographics and economic growth
Get PDFThis thesis explores the subject of age demographics and economic growth, measured in GDP per capita, in Sweden and Finland between 1960-2020. The chosen method was to compile a number of variables that aim to explain how the age demographics are affected in the two countries and was analysed using OLS-regression. Three different regressions were complied, one for each nation and one that attempts to account for global external factors such as global economic trends and technological change. The results depict that age demographics is correlated with economic growth in Finland and when accounting for confounding factors. This might lead to future problems as the age demographics continue to develop. Over time there might be a shift in government spending and on the labour markets
Low scores, high standards- a case study on Coop’s sustainability declaration
Get PDFThe earth's ecosystems are changing due to human activities, and it is urgent that we transform our way of living to avoid further negative effects on climate change. Food production has the single biggest impact on global environmental changes, since 21-37% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions comes from the agricultural systems. Sweden is highly dependent on imports for its food supply which makes it sensitive for external pressures and global events. Retail chains are today the established main source for purchasing foodstuffs. These actors are therefore in a position where they can create barriers for food producers to enter the market. This project is a commission from the Swedish retail chain Coop Sweden (Coop) which also constituted the case study. They aspire to transform the food industry by implementing their sustainability declaration as a new supplier standard. The reason for this is that they wish to broaden their assortment of sustainable food products that can be offered to consumers. The aim for this study was to identify how Coop´s supplier standard could be implemented for small-scale producers, to create sustainable and resilient food systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purchasers and small-scale producers from Coop´s consumer unions Norrbotten, Värmland and Gotland. Their answers were analysed using theories and concepts of Institutional theory, CSR, standards, Channel theory and gatekeepers.
This study´s results show that the interviewees share an overall understanding of the definition of local food as: food that has been produced within a defined geographical region. It is also evident from the results that to successfully implement the sustainability declaration, it needs to lead to increased income for the small-scale producers. The results further show that all the interviewees are willing to work to continuously improve their sustainability work but that they need support from Coop in the process. This could be done by offering education, clear guidelines, and long supplier agreements. A standardised and shared industry system for reporting key figures regarding sustainability impact is also requested by the interviewed producers. All interviewees mentioned that they are concerned over the consequences that may come from the current war in Ukraine. The timing of higher supplier requirements may therefore be ill suited due to ongoing global events. However, the climate change and environmental changes are urgent, which require a systematic change in our way of living. It is therefore of utmost importance to motivate small-scale producers to reduce their sustainability impact, so that all food systems can become more sustainable
Mixed Stand vs Monoculture
Get PDFPicea abies L. Karst (N. spruce) monocultures dominate the forest landscape of southern Sweden due to their suitability for the prevalent site conditions, well established silviculture, and profitability. However, disturbances such as windthrow, bark beetle damage, and Heterobasidion root rot pose a risk to N.spruce stands' stability. Consequently, recent studies recommend increased tree species diversity in production forests as a form of risk reduction in addition to securing multiple ecosystem services. The natural regeneration potential of birch in southern Sweden makes it a suitable species for establishing mixed stands with N.spruce. However, much research is still required to effectively manage these mixtures and develop silvicultural guidelines. Inventory data after the first PCT from well-replicated mixed species experiment with naturally regenerated birch and planted N.spruce on scarified soil were used as starting values to project stand development in the Heureka decision support system (StandWise). The experiments were established on highly fertile sites in southern Sweden namely: Hörja, Tagel, and Tönnersjöheden. Two thinning treatments, one aimed at maintaining species proportion (_mix) and another removing the smallest trees of either species (_TFB), were applied to the mixed stands, which had different initial species proportions B2S1 (66% Birch, 33% N.spruce) and B1S2 (33% Birch, 66% N.spruce). In contrast, thinning for pure stands was according to common silviculture for N.spruce and birch monoculture (_mono). Based on the thinning treatments, birch proportion (% basal area), growth (MAImax), and profitability (LEV) of N.spruce-birch stands were assessed in comparison to N.spruce and birch monoculture at final felling.
When _TFB thinning was applied to the mixed stand with a high initial birch proportion, B2S1_TFB, it provided a slightly higher growth and significantly better economy than N.spruce monoculture while retaining a 30% birch proportion. N.spruce dominated mixed stands (B1S2_mix, B1S2_TFB) had similar MAImax and higher LEV than N.spruce monoculture (S_mono) regardless of thinning treatment but resulted in lower birch proportion than the B2S1_TFB. On the other hand, thinning prioritizing initial species proportion was effective in the birch-dominated stand, B2S1_mix. However, the high birch proportion in the B2S1_mix led to tradeoffs in stand growth and economic performance. Moreover, birch monoculture (B_mono) was the least productive stand. This study presents viable pathways for managing N.spruce-birch stands in southern Sweden to secure the provision of multiple ecosystem services
Det svala torget
Get PDFKlimatförändringar påverkar jorden på olika sätt. I framtiden kan temperaturen på jorden komma att stiga och frekvensen samt intensiteten av värmeböljor kan komma att trappas upp. Syftet med den här uppsatsen är därför att öka kunskap och intresse kring hur landskapsarkitekter och fysiska planerare genom gestaltning kan anpassa platser i urbana miljöer till ett varmare klimat med fler och mer intensiva värmeböljor. Detta med fokus på att minska risken för värmestress och förbättra möjligheten till utomhusvistelse för människor vid värmeböljor under dagtid. Målet är att genom en litteraturstudie ta reda på vilka gestaltningsverktyg som finns för att skapa svala platser i urbana miljöer, samt utvärdera hur dessa gestaltningsverktyg kan förändra lufttemperatur och strålningstemperatur på en plats. Utvärderingen möjliggörs genom en omgestaltning av Stortorget i Helsingborg.
Begreppet gestaltningsverktyg syftar i den här uppsatsen på de verktyg som finns för att gestalta platser utefter ett visst mål, i det här fallet att skapa svala platser i urbana miljöer.
Litteraturstudien visar att gestaltningsverktyg såsom ökad mängd vegetation, främst i form av träd, i kombination med andra skuggande element, rätt sorts materialval, vattenfunktioner och vind kan bidra till att skapa svala platser i urbana miljöer. Hur många och vilka gestaltningsverktyg som kan användas vid en omgestaltning varierar dock från plats till plats och måste avvägas inför varje gestaltning. När dessa gestaltningsverktyg tillämpas i en omgestaltning av Stortorget i Helsingborg visar simuleringar av en värmebölja år 2050 i programvaran ENVI-met på att Stortorget kan bli en svalare plats att vistas på om torget omgestaltas för svalka.Climate change affects the earth in different ways. In the future, the temperature of the earth may rise, and the f Consequently, the purpose of this thesis is to increase knowledge and interest in how landscape architects and physical planners through design can adapt spaces in urban environments to a warmer climate and a higher frequency and intensity of heatwaves. The focus lies on reducing the risk of heat stress and improving the possibility of using outdoor environments during heatwaves in the day time. The aim is to, through a literature study, detect which design tools can be used when creating cool spaces in urban environments and evaluate how these design tools can change air temperature and radiation temperature in a space. The evaluation is carried out through a redesign of Stortorget in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The term design tools refer in this essay to the tools available for designing spaces according to a specific goal, in this case, to create cool spaces in urban environments.
The literature study shows that design tools such as increased amount of vegetation, mainly in the form of trees, in combination with other shading elements, the right kind of materials, water functions and wind can contribute to creating cool spaces in urban environments. However, how many and which design tools can be used in a redesign varies from space to space and must be evaluated for each design. When the design tools are used in a redesign of Stortorget in Helsingborg, simulations of a heatwave year 2050 in the software ENVI-met shows that Stortorget would become a cooler space to stay in if the square was to be redesigned