1.
2.
Haysom, Gareth, et al.
(författare)
Food systems sustainability: An examination of different viewpoints on food system change
2019
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 11:12
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Global food insecurity levels remain stubbornly high. One of the surest ways to grasp the scale and consequence of global inequality is through a food systems lens. In a predominantly urban world, urban food systems present a useful lens to engage a wide variety of urban (and global) challenges—so called ‘wicked problems.’ This paper describes a collaborative research project between four urban food system research units, two European and two African. The project purpose was to seek out solutions to what lay between, across and within the different approaches applied in the understanding of each city’s food system challenges. Contextual differences and immediate (perceived) needs resulted in very different views on the nature of the challenge and the solutions required. Value positions of individuals and their disciplinary “enclaves” presented further boundaries. The paper argues that finding consensus provides false solutions. Rather the identification of novel approaches to such wicked problems is contingent of these differences being brought to the fore, being part of the conversation, as devices through which common positions can be discovered, where spaces are created for the realisation of new perspectives, but also, where difference is celebrated as opposed to censored.
3.
Malmborg, Katja, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
Knowledge co-production in the Helge å catchment : a comparative analysis
2022
Ingår i: Ecosystems and People. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2639-5908 .- 2639-5916. ; 18:1, s. 565-582
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Addressing sustainability challenges in landscape management requires processes for co-producing usable knowledge together with those who will use that knowledge. Participatory futures methods are powerful tools for attaining such knowledge. The applications of such methods are diverse and understanding the intricacies of the knowledge co-production process is important to further develop these research practices. To improve participatory futures methods and contribute to systematic and critical reflections on methodology, we present a comparative analysis of four research projects that applied participatory futures methods in the same study area. Conducted between 2011 and 2020, these projects aimed to co-produce knowledge about the future provision of ecosystem services in the Helge a catchment area in southern Sweden. For structuring the post-hoc, self-reflexive analysis, we developed a framework dividing the knowledge co-production process into three dimensions: settings, synthesis and diffusion. We based the analysis on documentation from the projects, a two-step questionnaire to each research team, a workshop with co-authors and interviews with key participants. The comparison highlights steps in project decision-making, explicit and implicit assumptions in our respective approaches and how these assumptions informed process design in the projects. Our detailed description of the four knowledge co-production processes points to the importance of flexibility in research design, but also the necessity for researchers and other participants to adapt as the process unfolds.
4.
Drenning, Paul David, 1992
(författare)
Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) for Managing Risks and Providing Ecosystem Services at Contaminated Sites
2021
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Soils are a non-renewable resource and comprise a key component of the world's stock of natural capital. Due to industrialisation, urbanisation and other patterns of unsustainable development, widespread land degradation in the form of contamination, soil sealing, compaction, etc. has impaired the capacity of soils to perform their essential functions and provide humans with vital ecosystem services. Brownfields are typically urban or peri-urban sites that have been affected by the former uses of the site, are or are perceived to be contaminated, and require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use. They also constitute an important and underutilised land and soil resource to provide ecosystem services in urban areas as an element of green infrastructure through the use of nature-based solutions such as gentle remediation options (GRO). Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) are remediation measures involving plants, fungi, bacteria, and soil amendments that can be applied to manage risks at contaminated sites. Several studies and decision-support tools promote the wider range of benefits provided by GRO, including improving soil function to provide ecosystem services, but there is still scepticism regarding GRO implementation. Interviews with a small group of experts have elucidated some of the main possibilities and challenges for GRO implementation in Sweden. As a result, a risk management framework for GRO has been developed to strengthen the decision basis for GRO implementation in practice and address some of the key issues that need to be better communicated, including the various risk mitigation mechanisms, the required risk reduction for an envisioned land use, and the time perspective associated with the risk mitigation mechanisms. The framework is envisioned to be used as a tool for risk communication with stakeholders, decision-makers and regulatory agencies to identify GRO strategies for managing risks at contaminated sites and supporting phytomanagement for sustainable remediation and development. Two case studies are used to demonstrate the application of the risk management framework: Polstjärnegatan and Kolleberga.
5.
Drenning, Paul David, 1992
(författare)
Gentle Remediation Options (GRO): A Literature Review (Part 1/2)
2021
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Soils are a non-renewable resource and comprise a key component of the world's stock of natural capital. Due to industrialisation, urbanisation and other patterns of unsustainable development, widespread land degradation in the form of contamination, soil sealing, compaction, etc. has impaired the capacity of soils to perform their essential functions and provide humans with vital ecosystem services. Brownfields are typically urban or peri-urban sites that have been affected by the former uses of the site, are or are perceived to be contaminated, and require intervention to bring them back to beneficial use. They also constitute an important and underutilised land and soil resource to provide ecosystem services in urban areas as an element of green infrastructure through the use of nature-based solutions such as gentle remediation options (GRO). Within the scope of the Ph.D. project " Enhancing ecosystem services by innovative remediation using gentle remediation options (ECO-GRO)", an in-depth but inexhaustive literature review has been carried out to build a theoretical understanding of GRO for the overall research project. This literature review report (part 1 of 2) will present a compilation of the main findings by beginning with A) core concepts of GRO including the background of their usage and development as well as key physiological mechanisms and processes; then B) mechanisms for the gentle remediation of organic (i.e. degradation and volatilisation) and inorganic contaminants (i.e. extraction and stabilisation) are reviewed, including the various strategies for implementation, practical aspects, key limitations, the possibilities to enhance effectiveness by combining with soil amendments and compilations of field studies demonstrating successful application. GRO mechanisms that are more specific in use like rhizofiltration and phytohydraulics are also briefly discussed as well as other remediation techniques included under the GRO umbrella such as bioremediation, mycoremediation and vermiremediation; C) the development in the field towards applying GRO to both manage risks and provide wider economic, social and environmental benefits, i.e. phytomanagement, is discussed at some length while considering its broader implications; and finally D) suitable plants for the various GRO mechanisms are discussed throughout the report but a specific section is set aside to discuss methods for selecting the most suitable plants as well as summarising the most applied plants.
6.
Hedin, Björn, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
Food Carbon Literacy : A Definition and Framework Exemplified by Designing and Evaluating a Digital Grocery List for Increasing Food Carbon Literacy and Changing Behavior
2022
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 14:19, s. 12442-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Public knowledge about the differences in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the production and transportation of different kinds of food are generally low. People with an interest in choosing food with low greenhouse gas emissions must therefore either increase this "food carbon literacy" or be provided with such information when they decide what food to buy. Research about this specific kind of food literacy is, however, scarce, lacking both well-defined terminology and interventions attempting to increase food carbon literacy. In this paper we provide a framework for future research in the area by defining "food carbon literacy", serving as a starting point for categorizing, comparing, and generalizing future research findings. Drawing on previous work on other kinds of literacies, we distinguish between (1) food carbon literacy, (2) food product carbon literacy, (3) food handling carbon literacy, and (4) financial food carbon literacy. We have furthermore developed and tested a digital behavior change intervention in the form of a digital grocery list used on mobile phones. The list works as other digital grocery shopping lists, but also displays the CO(2)e footprint of the food added to the list, thereby enabling the user to change products at the planning stage and increase their food carbon literacy. It was tested on a group of 38 people for a duration of 2 weeks. The goals of the pilot study were to investigate quantitatively whether such a tool would increase food carbon literacy, and to investigate qualitatively how such a tool could be used and designed. The results show a strong increase in food carbon literacy for food the respondents had added to their grocery lists, but also for food that had not been added to their lists, indicating a generalization of the knowledge. Finally, we provide implications for the design of such systems, based on the qualitative evaluation.
7.
Cimburova, Zofie, et al.
(författare)
Location matters. A systematic review of spatial contextual factors mediating ecosystem services of urban trees
2021
Ingår i: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 50
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat) abstract
To ensure and maintain ecosystem service delivery in cities undergoing densification, strategic tree planting is important. The effects of tree location on ecosystem service delivery have been emphasised. However, there is no integrated overview of the different aspects of tree location, here called spatial contextual factors, that mediate urban tree ecosystem services. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review and provides a comprehensive overview of spatial contextual factors recognised by research as relevant for ecosystem service delivery by urban trees. To support creating such an overview, we first gain insight into the current common understanding of what spatial context is conceptually and how it participates in the co-production of ecosystem services. We find that generally, spatial context is represented by both social and ecological structures and processes and that it mediates ecosystem services by four mechanisms along the ecosystem service cascade. In the next step, we identify 114 unique spatial contextual factors mediating 31 ecosystem services of urban trees. Of all factors, people, represented by physical location, socio-demographics or building functions, mediate the highest number of services, highlighting the importance of urban planning and design in mediating urban tree ecosystem services.
8.
Blix Germundsson, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
Collective agency as a leverage point in multi-actor innovation: Two case studies from Swedish horticulture
2023
Ingår i: Agricultural and Food Science. - 1459-6067 .- 1795-1895. ; 32, s. 166-178
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate how horticultural firms meet their need for innovation within the innovation system. A comparative process ethnography approach was applied to two cases of long-term collaboration between multiple actors in Swedish horticulture. The retrospective reconstruction of the cases through documentation and interviews allowed for triangulation of data in a grounded theory approach. The leverage points of the developing collaborative processes were found to be; having agency and a network approach, the forming of collective agency through social learning, enhancing resource access, and operationalization of results. The concept of leverage points is useful for understanding evolutionary changes in multi-actor collaborations. The use of the concept of collective agency contributes to the understanding of the dynamics of demand articulation, illustrating a reciprocal process between the actors' individual agencies, and evolving over time through their social learning. The results point to a need for policymakers and practitioners to develop a broader understanding of how actors work in the innovation system to enhance knowledge development and innovation.
9.
Gebresenbet, Girma, et al.
(författare)
A concept for application of integrated digital technologies to enhance future smart agricultural systems
2023
Ingår i: Smart Agricultural Technology. - : Elsevier. - 2772-3755. ; 5
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Future agricultural systems should increase productivity and sustainability of food production and supply. For this, integrated and efficient capture, management, sharing, and use of agricultural and environmental data from multiple sources is essential. However, there are challenges to understand and efficiently use different types of agricultural and environmental data from multiple sources, which differ in format and time interval. In this regard, the role of emerging technologies is considered to be significant for integrated data gathering, analyses and efficient use. In this study, a concept was developed to facilitate the full integration of digital technologies to enhance future smart and sustainable agricultural systems. The concept has been developed based on the results of a literature review and diverse experiences and expertise which enabled the identification of stat-of-the-art smart technologies, challenges and knowledge gaps. The features of the proposed solution include: data collection methodologies using smart digital tools; platforms for data handling and sharing; application of Artificial Intelligent for data integration and analysis; edge and cloud computing; application of Blockchain, decision support system; and a governance and data security system. The study identified the potential positive implications i.e. the implementation of the concept could increase data value, farm productivity, effectiveness in monitoring of farm operations and decision making, and provide innovative farm business models. The concept could contribute to an overall increase in the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the agricultural sector as well as digital transformation in agriculture and rural areas. This study also provided future research direction in relation to the proposed concept. The results will benefit researchers, practitioners, developers of smart tools, and policy makers supporting the transition to smarter and more sustainable agriculture systems.
10.
