| 1. |
- Ahmadi Moghaddam, Elham, et al.
(författare)
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Gas Hydrates as a Means for Biogas and Biomethane Distribution
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-598X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biomethane is receiving great attention as a renewable energy gas with lower environmental impacts and diversified sources of production. However, availability of gas infrastructure is an important factor in biomethane development and use. Biomethane can be distributed by the natural gas or local biogas grid. Biomethane can also be road-transported as compressed biomethane (CBG) or liquefied bio-methane (LBG). Biomethane could be distributed via gas hydration technology, where methane molecules are physically trapped within the crystalline structures of frozen host water molecules as gas hydrate compounds. Using life cycle assessment methodology, this study compared the energy performance and climate impact of two gas hydrate scenarios, biogas hydrate and biomethane hydrate, with that of a base case distributing biomethane as CBG. The technical system, from biogas upgrading, hydration, compression and road transport to filling station of biomethane as CBG, was included in the analysis. Results of this study show that distribution of biomethane as gas hydrates had a lower energy performance and higher climate impact than compressed biomethane distribution. The low energy performance was due to high electricity demand in hydrate formation and dissociation processes. The gas hydrate scenarios also had higher climate impacts as a result of high methane losses from hydrate formation and dissociationdissociation and emissions related to energy source use. Biogas upgrading to biomethane also significantly contributed to methane losses and climate impact of the scenarios studied.
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| 2. |
- Björnberg, K. E., et al.
(författare)
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The role of biotechnology in sustainable agriculture : Views and perceptions among key actors in the Swedish food supply chain
- 2015
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 7:6, s. 7512-7529
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Researchers have put forward agricultural biotechnology as one possible tool for increasing food production and making agriculture more sustainable. In this paper, it is investigated how key actors in the Swedish food supply chain perceive the concept of agricultural sustainability and the role of biotechnology in creating more sustainable agricultural production systems. Based on policy documents and semi-structured interviews with representatives of five organizations active in producing, processing and retailing food in Sweden, an attempt is made to answer the following three questions: How do key actors in the Swedish food supply chain define and operationalize the concept of agricultural sustainability? Who/what influences these organizations' sustainability policies and their respective positions on agricultural biotechnology? What are the organizations' views and perceptions of biotechnology and its possible role in creating agricultural sustainability? Based on collected data, it is concluded that, although there is a shared view of the core constituents of agricultural sustainability among the organizations, there is less explicit consensus on how the concept should be put into practice or what role biotechnology can play in furthering agricultural sustainability.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Carton, Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
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On-farm experiments on cultivation of grain legumes for food - outcomes from a farmer-researcher collaboration
- 2022
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Ingår i: Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. - 1742-1705 .- 1742-1713. ; 37, s. 457-467
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a growing interest among farmers and consumers in increasing production and consumption of grain legumes in Sweden. This requires better knowledge among farmers and advisors about suitable species, varieties and management practices for different conditions. Since cultivar suitability and management practices are highly site-specific, farmers need to gain their own experience of new crops and practices. This paper describes a farmer-researcher collaboration in which cultivation of grain legumes for food was investigated in on-farm experiments designed, managed and evaluated jointly by a group of farmers and researchers. Farmers tested innovative practices using within-field species diversity, comparative performance of varieties and methods for weed control. Post-harvest steps such as cleaning and selling the crops were considered by farmers to be integral components of the experiments. The process generated different types of knowledge, including practical knowledge on crop management, strategic knowledge on economic sustainability and knowledge about joint learning through collaboration. The on-farm experiments combined advantages of 'pure' farmer experiments (i.e., context specificity) and 'pure' researcher experiments (i.e., scientific inquiry), facilitating deeper analysis and understanding of outcomes. This enabled efficient knowledge building, adoption of new crops and innovative practices and stimulated further experimentation. The outcomes of this study are that farmer-researcher collaborations using on-farm experiments can stimulate collective learning by stimulating the exchange between participants and combining complementary perspectives throughout the experimentation process. The study also provides recommendations for facilitating on-farm experiments in future work, for instance using collective settings to evaluate the results.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Cederberg, Christel, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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Jordbrukets ekosystemtjänster. Från koncept till gårdsbaserade indikatorer
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ekosystemtjänster kan definieras som de nyttigheter, i vid bemärkelse, som naturensekosystem ger oss människor. Det stora forskningsprojektet Millennium EcosystemAssessment som initierades av FN är en milstolpe som satte begreppet ekosystemtjänsterpå den politiska agendan på tidigt 2000-tal. Det markerar också startpunkten för en snabbtexpanderande vetenskaplig verksamhet inom området. Syftet med föreliggande rapport äratt beskriva jordbrukets ekosystemtjänster och undersöka vilka existerande förslag påindikatorer för ekosystemtjänster som finns i den vetenskapliga litteraturen och som kanvara användbara på gårdsnivå där besluten om produktion och markanvändning tas.Denna rapport, som baseras på en litteraturgenomgång genomförd i början av 2015, geren kort introduktion till begreppet ekosystemtjänster med utgångspunkt från definitioner ilitteraturen och utvecklingen inom området. Den skiftande terminologin inom området tasupp liksom olika begrepp och steg som är nödvändiga vid en kvantifiering och värderingav ekosystemtjänster. Förståelse om dessa begrepp är viktig vid tolkning av befintligaindikatorer såväl som vid utveckling av nya. Rapporten ger exempel från litteraturenpå indikatorer för ekosystemtjänster och konstaterar att dessa företrädesvis är utveckladeför större skalor som t ex landskap, region eller kontinent. Indikatorer som är framtagnaför ekosystemtjänster på gårdsnivå förekommer mindre ofta i litteraturen.Rapporten diskuterar möjligheter och svårigheter kopplade till att utveckla och användaindikatorer för ekosystemtjänster på gårdsnivå och konstaterar att tillgången på data är enutmaning men att det finns goda möjligheter att ytterligare utveckla indikatorer som kanvara meningsfulla på gården. Vissa ekosystemtjänster har dock större relevans förlandskapsnivån än för gårdsnivån och en utveckling av indikatorer för dessa ekosystemtjänsterutgör en särskild utmaning eftersom systemgränserna är svårdefinierade.Indikatorer för ekosystemtjänster kan dels användas inom gården som underlag för attfölja upp olika åtgärder, dels för att kommunicera kring gårdens produktion av olikaekosystemtjänster till aktörer i produktkedjan eller gentemot myndigheter ochbeslutsfattare. Vid utveckling av indikatorer för ekosystemtjänster i jordbruket behöverindikatorernas syfte, användningsområden och intressenternas behov klargöras ochbeaktas. När ekosystemtjänster bedöms är det viktigt att involvera olika intressenter, inteminst när man behöver bedöma avvägningar mellan olika typer av ekosystemtjänstervilket kan kräva engagemang och beslut på flera olika samhällsnivåer
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| 7. |
- Eckersten, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrogen leaching and soil organic carbon sequestration of a Barley crop with improved N use efficiency : A regional case study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica - Section B. - : Taylor and Francis Ltd.. - 0906-4710 .- 1651-1913. ; 67:7, s. 615-627
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The potential of modified spring barley crops with improved nitrogen (N) use efficiency to reduce nitrogen (N) leaching and to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage was assessed at the regional scale. This was done using simulation model applications designed for reporting according to the Helcom (Helsinki Commission) and Kyoto protocols. Using model simulations based on modified crops N dynamics and SOC were assessed for three agro-ecological regions (latitudes ranging 55°20′–60°40′ N) in Sweden over a 20-year period. The modified N use properties of spring barley were implemented in the SOILNDB model (simulating soil C, N, water and heat, and plant N dynamics) by changing the parameters for root N uptake efficiency and plant N demand within a range given by previous model applications to different crops. A doubling of the daily N uptake efficiency and increased N demand (by ca 30%) reduced N leaching by 24%–31%, increased plant N content by 9%–12%, depending on region. The effects of the modified crop on SOC was simulated with the ICBM model, resulting in an increased SOC content (0–25 cm depth) by 57–79 kg C ha−1 y−1. The results suggest that a modified crop might reduce N leaching from spring barley area, in a range similar to the targets of relevant environmental protection directives, a result which held more in the northern than southern regions. The simulated SOC increase on a hectare basis was highest for the central region and least for the most northern region. For the total agricultural area the share of spring barley area was small and more crops would need to be modified to reach the emission reduction targets.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Hansson, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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An indicator framework to guide food system sustainability transition – The case of Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2665-9727. ; 22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Well-aligned food policies are needed at both national and international level to guide food system transformation towards sustainability. Rigorous indicator frameworks are essential in order to facilitate discussion of priorities, enable comparisons, assessment and progress monitoring, and ensure accountability. In this study, we develop a national framework for a sustainable food system, using Sweden as a case. Our framework, the Food System Sustainability House, advances the literature on sustainable food system frameworks in three distinct ways. Firstly, it is tailored to a specific national context (Sweden in our case); secondly, it distinguishes between impacts of domestic production arising within territorial boundaries and impacts related to Swedish consumption independent of country of origin; and thirdly, to facilitate policy priorities, it suggests how different dimensions of sustainability are interlinked at a conceptual level. From a scientific perspective, the Food System Sustainability House postulates the interlinkages between the societal objectives of the food system, the environmental foundations on which production takes place, and the economic system and governance which in the framework are suggested to function as enablers for an overall sustainable system. From a policy perspective, the framework provides a much-needed basis for assessing food system sustainability by suggesting indicators within a comprehensive set of sustainability themes at national level for monitoring distinct perspectives. It also provides the necessary basis for a discussion on how sustainability dimensions are interlinked.
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| 12. |
- Hansson, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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An indicator framework to guide food system sustainability transition - The case of Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2665-9727. ; 22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Well-aligned food policies are needed at both national and international level to guide food system transformation towards sustainability. Rigorous indicator frameworks are essential in order to facilitate discussion of priorities, enable comparisons, assessment and progress monitoring, and ensure accountability. In this study, we develop a national framework for a sustainable food system, using Sweden as a case. Our framework, the Food System Sustainability House, advances the literature on sustainable food system frameworks in three distinct ways. Firstly, it is tailored to a specific national context (Sweden in our case); secondly, it distinguishes between impacts of domestic production arising within territorial boundaries and impacts related to Swedish consumption independent of country of origin; and thirdly, to facilitate policy priorities, it suggests how different dimensions of sustainability are interlinked at a conceptual level. From a scientific perspective, the Food System Sustainability House postulates the interlinkages between the societal objectives of the food system, the environmental foundations on which production takes place, and the economic system and governance which in the framework are suggested to function as enablers for an overall sustainable system. From a policy perspective, the framework provides a much-needed basis for assessing food system sustainability by suggesting indicators within a comprehensive set of sustainability themes at national level for monitoring distinct perspectives. It also provides the necessary basis for a discussion on how sustainability dimensions are interlinked.
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| 13. |
- Henryson, Kajsa, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental performance of crop cultivation at different sites and nitrogen rates in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. - : SPRINGER. - 1385-1314 .- 1573-0867. ; 114:2, s. 139-155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitrogen (N) fertilisation has positive and negative effects on the environmental impact of crop cultivation. The mechanisms governing these effects are highly site-dependent, a factor often ignored in assessments of the environmental impact of crop cultivation. By assessing outputs of crop rotations using a life cycle approach, this study explored how greenhouse gas emissions and marine eutrophication caused by crop cultivation (including upstream processes such as production of farm inputs) depend on fertiliser rate and the site at which the cultivation occurs. Cereal unit (CU) was used as the functional unit. The calculations were based on data from multi-site long-term field experiments in Sweden and site-dependent data and models for non-measured processes. Cultivation at three N levels was evaluated, where the highest N rate was close to current average practices and the lowest level corresponded to one-third of that. Site characteristics had a stronger influence on both greenhouse gas emissions and marine eutrophication (variations of up to 330% and 490%, respectively, within N levels) than N level (variations of up to 74% and 59%, respectively, within sites). Main sources of variation in greenhouse gas emissions were soil nitrous oxide emissions (58-810g CO2eqCU-1) and soil organic carbon changes (14-720g CO2eqCU-1), while variations in marine eutrophication were mainly explained by field-level waterborne N losses (0.9-8.2g NeqCU-1). The large variation between sites highlights the importance of considering site characteristics when assessing the environmental impact of crop cultivation and evaluating the environmental consequences of crop management practices.
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| 14. |
- Henryson, Kajsa, et al.
(författare)
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Higher carbon sequestration on Swedish dairy farms compared with other farm types as revealed by national soil inventories
- 2022
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Ingår i: Carbon Management. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1758-3004 .- 1758-3012. ; 13, s. 266-278
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Small changes in the large stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) can have a substantial influence on the climate impact of agriculture. We used information from a Swedish soil monitoring program, in combination with farm census data, to analyze decadal SOC concentrations and SOC stock changes on dairy farms compared with other farm types, and to quantify the climate impact of these changes on dairy farms. Soil monitoring data included topsoil samples from two inventories on 159 dairy farms, 86 beef farms, 318 arable farms, and 13 pig farms, taken at the same locations in 2001-2007 and 2011-2017. Concentrations of SOC on dairy farms (3.0%) were significantly higher than on arable farms (2.3%) and pig farms (2.4%), but not significantly different from beef farms (3.1%). SOC concentration was correlated with proportion of ley at farm scale. SOC stocks in the upper 20 cm increased significantly on dairy, beef, and arable farms, by 0.38, 0.14, and 0.21 Mg C ha(-1 )year(-1), respectively, between 2001-2007 and 2011-2017. For dairy farms, this corresponded to -1.4 Mg CO2 ha(-1) and approximately -0.22 kg CO2 kg(-1) energy-corrected milk, demonstrating that SOC changes could have a substantial influence on the climate footprint of milk.
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| 15. |
- Henryson, K., et al.
(författare)
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Soil N2O emissions, N leaching and marine eutrophication in life cycle assessment – A comparison of modelling approaches
- 2020
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 725
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitrogen fertilisation is an essential part of modern agriculture, providing food for a growing human population, but also causing environmental impacts when reactive nitrogen (N) is released to the environment. The amount and impact of these emissions are difficult to quantify in life cycle assessment (LCA), due to their site-dependent nature. This study compared seven models for direct soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, seven models for N leaching and five characterisation models for marine eutrophication impact assessment, selected to represent medium-effort options for accounting for spatial variation in emissions and impact assessment. In a case study, the models were applied to wheat cultivation at two Swedish sites to estimate climate and marine eutrophication impact. Direct N2O emissions estimated by the models varied by up to five-fold at one of the sites and contributed 21–56% of the total climate impact. Site-dependent models gave both lower and higher N2O emissions estimates than the site-generic Tier 1 model from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Estimated N leaching also varied by up to fivefold at one of the sites and contributed 47–93% of the total eutrophication potential, depending on model choice. All site-dependent models estimated lower N leaching than the site-generic IPCC Tier 1 model. Marine eutrophication impact estimates varied by almost an order of magnitude depending on characterisation model choice. The large variation between models found in this study highlights the importance of model choice for N emissions and marine eutrophication impact assessment in LCA of crop cultivation. Due to the divergence of model outcomes and different limitations of some of the models, no general recommendations on choosing soil N2O emissions model, N leaching model or characterisation model for marine eutrophication could be given.
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| 16. |
- Ignatieva, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Lawn as a cultural and ecological phenomenon : A conceptual framework for transdisciplinary research
- 2015
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier GmbH. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 14:2, s. 383-387
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Globalisation and urbanisation are driving the worldwide homogenisation of urban landscapes. The flora and fauna of cities in different parts of the world are very similar, irrespective of geography and climate. One of the most powerful symbols of modern urban landscapes is the lawn. There are just a few management options for urban lawns, regardless of how they are used and where in the city they are situated. Today, lawns occupy much of the green open spaces in cities (70-75%) and are located in private front and rear gardens, public parks, cemeteries, golf courses and along roads. Most people in the Western world view lawns as a 'natural' and even compulsory element of the urban landscape, without questioning their social, symbolic, ecological or aesthetic values. In this article we discuss the conceptual framework and methodological approaches being used in an ongoing transdisciplinary collaboration project including stakeholders to study lawns in Sweden as a social and ecological phenomenon. The overall aim is to understand the role of lawns in sustainable urban planning, design and management. The transdisciplinary approach allows us to exchange knowledge between scientific disciplines in order to influence the studies within each subject throughout the project and to achieve a multi-dimensional understanding of the lawn as a phenomenon. The involvement and close collaboration of stakeholders in the project allows us to obtain first-hand information on planning issues connected to lawns and existing planning data from cities and to focus on true implementation aspects rather than just theoretical recommendations.
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| 17. |
- Ignatieva, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Pros and cons of transdisciplinary research: A case study of Swedish lawns and their sustainable alternatives
- 2020
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier BV. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we discuss the pros and cons of transdisciplinary research using the results of a research project on lawns carried out in Sweden from 2013 to 2016. We viewed lawns as a complex ecological and cultural phenomenon and searched for different sustainable lawn solutions in urban areas of Sweden.Constraints on the research included the time and effort required for team members to become familiar with the different research approaches, participate in regular meetings and agree on joint methodology. Later in the project, the integration, analysis and understanding of field data, theoretical sources and practical implementation approaches were also time-consuming obstacles. Thus, the initial and final phases of the project were extremely important and demanded a lot of time and effort. Especially challenging was the cross-use of different methodologies from natural and social sciences. Such ambitious multiscale and multitask projects dealing with living urban nature and people require at least five years to complete, rather than the three years typically suggested for classical research projects.The pros of the transdisciplinary approach was its ability to incorporate results of natural and social studies into landscape design, the ability to involve stakeholders in different project activities and to disseminate the research results in practice. This research revealed that lawns are a relatively recent phenomenon that is still expanding globally. The social study component showed that mowing and creating smooth, green lawn surfaces is important to stakeholders (lawn users, planners and managers). However, in Sweden, there is a tendency for local citizens to accept more biodiverse plant communities. Working closely with open-minded stakeholders led to the real implementation of lawn alternatives, which, in turn, increased media attention. The initial concept—that management was a central factor to the whole transdisciplinary project—was confirmed. The goal of this article is to share the unique experiences and lessons learned by researchers of conducting transdisciplinary research and to make such complex research more successful.
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| 18. |
- Jönsson, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Avloppsfraktioner från enskilda kretslopp : kunskapssammanställning om klosettvatten samt exempel på kretsloppsarbete i Stockholmsregionen
- 2010
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- För att uppnå ett hållbart jordbruk är det nödvändigt att växtnäringen från livsmedelsproduktion, annan odling och konsumtion av varor återförs i ett kretslopp, främst till jordbruket. Detta framgår tydligt av andemeningen i riksdagens miljömål God bebyggd miljö och delmålet att ”senast år 2015 skall minst 60 procent av fosforföreningarna i avlopp återföras till produktiv mark, varav minst hälften bör återföras till åkermark”. En fjärdedel av Stockholms läns enskilda avlopp har sluten tank för klosettvattnet. För att lantbruket ska acceptera återföring av klosettvatten krävs en tillfredsställande hygienisering, vilket kan ske bland annat genom våtkompostering, ammoniakhygienisering eller långtidslagring. Lantbruket har en central roll som mottagare och användare av avloppsprodukter och behöver involveras i ett tidigt skede av processen. Kommunen har en central roll i planering och åstadkommande av kretsloppslösningar för avfall och avloppsfraktioner. I och med att detta är områden där ny kunskap och nya strukturer utvecklas är det viktigt att sammanställa och tillgängliggöra kunskap och erfarenheter. Föreliggande rapport beskriver kretslopp av klosettvatten samt kretsloppssatsningar för urin och klosettvatten som genomförts i Stockholmsregionen. Några slutsatser är: Litteraturgenomgången visar på det finns en god potential att föra källsorterade avloppsfraktioner i kretslopp. De är rena, innehåller mycket näring och Naturvårdsverket (2006) anser att kommunerna bör ha system för återföring av källsorterade avloppsfraktioner till kretsloppet. De redovisade fallstudierna visar att det faktiskt också händer mycket i Stockholmsregionen, i projekt där kommuner, LRF, Stockholms Läns Landsting via sitt Miljöbidrag, Länsstyrelsen samt boende varit engagerade. Flera av de system som redovisas i rapporten har institutionella frågetecken. System för kretslopp av avloppsfraktioner organiserar sig inte själva, tvärtom innebär de att flera aktörer skall samverka på ett sätt som de oftast inte har någon erfarenhet av och som existerande ramverk, i form av kommunens struktur, styrdokument och lagstiftning etc inte är utvecklat för. Arbetet med att utveckla och anpassa ramverken pågår, t ex är det nu klart att urin och klosettvatten är att betrakta som avfallsfraktioner, vilket innebär att renhållningshuvudmännen har ett övergripande ansvar och de har också börjat ta sig an dessa fraktioner. Av de i rapporten redovisade projekten framgår att en av de viktigaste frågorna för att få källsorterade avloppsfraktioner i kretslopp är hur de kommunala VA- och avfallstaxorna skall utformas för att styra mot de för miljö och ekonomi bästa lösningarna. Slutligen – drivande och ansvarstagande aktörer behövs i hela processen. Det finns drivande aktörer i regionen vilket gör att kretsloppssystemen utvecklas, sakta men säkert. Kommuner som kliver fram och initierar aktiviteter och LRF som möter upp med kompetens och lösningar, samt sist men inte minst SLL miljöbidrag och Länsstyrelsen som med framsynt finansiering av utvecklingsprojekt, sammantaget ger dessa aktörer en klar potential för framgång.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Karlsson, Johan O., et al.
(författare)
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What can we learn from the past? Tracking sustainability indicators for the Swedish dairy sector over 30 years
- 2023
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Ingår i: Agricultural Systems. - 1873-2267 .- 0308-521X. ; 212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- CONTEXT: The dairy sector has undergone profound transformation over recent decades, resulting in considerably fewer but larger and more specialised farms, with unclear implications across sustainability dimensions. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to develop and employ a framework for assessing sustainability in the Swedish dairy sector to shed light on how recent historical developments (1990–2020) have influenced sustainability outcomes. METHODS: Using a data-driven, multidisciplinary approach, main areas of concern for sustainability in the primary production stages of the dairy sector were identified. These were then populated with indicators to track developments over time and highlight synergies and trade-offs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Four areas of concern were identified and populated with eight indicators (listed in brackets): ‘supporting ecosystems’ (semi-natural grassland area, ley area, mean field size), ‘climate impact’ (methane from enteric fermentation), ‘animal welfare’ (veterinary treatments, percentage of culled cows due to diseases) and ‘farm viability’ (competitive wages, farmer age structure). The results showed that area of semi-natural grassland per dairy cow decreased by 27% from 2003 to 2020. Area of ley per cow decreased slightly but the proportion of arable land on dairy farms devoted to ley cultivation increased, due to improved roughage quality enabling an increase in proportion of roughage in feed rations. In terms of climate impact, enteric methane emissions per kg milk decreased by 21%. Regarding animal welfare, veterinary treatments of diseases decreased from 45% to 21% over the 30 years, with declining trends for most recorded diseases except hoof disease. The indicators for farm viability showed that the average dairy farm was unable to pay a wage comparable to the national average throughout most of the period 2004–2020, but a slightly positive trend was observed, although with large year-on-year variability. A rapid change in age structure was seen between 2003 and 2020, with the proportion of land managed by older farmers (+60 years) increasing from 12% to 22%, indicating challenges with demographic viability. SIGNIFICANCE: Tracking changes over time across sustainability dimensions gives important insights into improvements made and challenges that remain to be solved. Overall, developments in the Swedish dairy sector have diminished its capacity to support ecosystems, particularly related to semi-natural grasslands, while reducing its climate impacts and improving animal welfare. An increased specialisation has also resulted in spillover effects where services and impacts have shifted from dairy herds to specialised beef herds. These findings are important in navigating policy processes targeting developments in the dairy sector.
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| 23. |
- Karlsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Smaller farm size and ruminant animals are associated with increased supply of non-provisioning ecosystem services
- 2022
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Ingår i: AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 51, s. 2025-2042
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To balance trade-offs between livestock's negative environmental impacts and their positive contributions (e.g. maintaining semi-natural grasslands, varied agricultural landscapes and crop rotations), a better understanding is needed of how the supply of ecosystem services differs across farms. We analysed a suite of indicators for non-provisioning ecosystem services on a large subset of Swedish farms (71% of farms, covering 82% of agricultural land) and related these to farm type, farm size and livestock density. The analysed indicators exhibited clear geographical patterns with hotspots especially in less productive regions. Controlling for this spatial variation we still found that small-scale and ruminant farms were associated with more varied landscapes, small-scale habitats, semi-natural grasslands and better crop sequences compared to nearby farms specialised in crop production, while farms specialising in monogastric livestock were associated with less varied landscapes and inferior crop sequences. Results for cultural ecosystem services indicated that farms with more semi-natural grassland were associated with more visitors and more likely located within designated recreation or nature conservation areas.
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| 24. |
- Karlsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Vallens roll i hållbara livsmedelssystem – hur välintegrerad är vallen i växtodlingssystemen?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Report from the Department of Crop Production Ecology (VPE). - 1653-5375. ; , s. 18-21
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vallodling skapar flera nyttor i växtodlingssystemen, framförallt om vallen odlas i växtföljder med andra grödor. Idag odlas vall och bete på åker på drygt 40 % av Sveriges åkerareal, men det är inte känt hur välintegrerad denna areal är i övrig växtodling. För att undersöka detta beräknas här 1) andelen kontinuerlig vallodling (i minst fem eller sju år), 2) integreringen av vall i spannmålsväxtföljder, samt 3) en teoretisk potential för ökad integrering av vall i spannmålsväxtföljder. Beräkningarna baseras på ett stort dataunderlag över sjuåriga växtföljder som täcker in 82 % av Sveriges åkermark. Resultaten visar att 46 % av vallarealen 2019 fanns på skiften där vall odlats kontinuerligt i minst sju år samt att 23 % av den totala spannmålsarealen 2019 odlades på skiften med minst tre år vall i växtföljden. Teoretiskt skulle denna integrering kunna öka till 44 % utan förändringar i den totala andelen vall- och spannmålsodling på enskilda gårdar. Den verkliga potentialen är dock mindre p.g.a. platsspecifika faktorer. Sammantaget visar resultaten att vallodlingen idag inte är välintegrerad i växtodlingssystemen med stora arealer kontinuerlig vallodling och en begränsad andel spannmål som odlas i växtföljder med vall. Det finns dock potential att integrera mer vall i övrig växtodling vilket skulle kunna öka vallens bidrag till uthålliga livsmedels- och växtodlingssystem.
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| 25. |
- Mc Conville, Jennifer R, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Closing the food loops: Guidelines and criteria for improving nutrient management
- 2015
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Ingår i: Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1548-7733. ; 11:2, s. 33-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As global consumption expands, the world is increasingly facing threats to resource availability and food security. To meet future food demands, agricultural resource efficiency needs to be optimized for both water and nutrients. Policy makers should start to radically rethink nutrient management across the entire food chain. Closing the food loop by recycling nutrients in food waste and excreta is an important way of limiting the use of mineral nutrients, as well as improving national and global food security. This article presents a framework for sustainable nutrient management and discusses the responsibility of four key stakeholder groups—agriculture, the food industry, consumers, and waste management—for achieving an effective food loop. In particular, we suggest a number of criteria, policy actions, and supporting strategies based on a cross-sectoral application of the waste hierarchy.
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