| 1. |
- Andersson, Elina, et al.
(author)
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Gambling in the garden: Pesticide use and risk exposure in Ugandan smallholder farming
- 2021
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In: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier BV. - 0743-0167. ; 82, s. 76-86
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use and promotion of pesticides is on the increase in many sub-Saharan African countries, including in the smallholder sector. This paper stems from placed-based research in Uganda and aims at advancing current knowledge on smallholder farmers' motivations for pesticide use, the extent and character of such use, as well as on lived experiences regarding the impacts of pesticides. Data was generated through a household survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with farmers, complemented by field observations and interviews with local agricultural actors. Conceptually, we draw on political ecology to link local practice to broader conditions and processes and their social-environmental outcomes. Our findings demonstrate that a large majority of farmers have resorted to pesticides as their primary strategy for pest control. Current practices entail substantial human health and environmental risks which tend to be socially differentiated, including along gender lines. Many farmers are concerned about the impacts and uncertainties surrounding pesticides, but face numerous barriers to behavioral change. While intensifying pest pressure is one such immediate barrier, our findings also suggest that deep structural forces shape farmers' adoption of pesticides and prevent adequate protective measures. Rapid market liberalization combined with poor regulation enforcement have resulted in widespread promotion of agro-chemicals and a large informal market for cheap, poor-quality products, including counterfeits. Low public spending on the agricultural sector, a malfunctioning extension system and systematic lack of development and promotion of strategies not centered on synthetic pesticides furthermore severely constrain farmers’ access to support on, and indeed options for, pest control. This lacking capacity and effort to adequately protect smallholders from pesticide exposure and ensure their ability to make informed decisions on pest management clearly places the burden of risk disproportionately on an already vulnerable group.
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| 2. |
- Boda, Chad, et al.
(author)
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A collective alternative to the Inward Turn in environmental sustainability research
- 2022
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In: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-6491 .- 2190-6483. ; 12:2, s. 291-297
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It has become quite common in environmental sustainability research to promote the influencing of so-called inner dimensions of individuals as means to address pressing environmental problems such as climate change, what we refer to as the Inward Turn. We argue that the conceptual foundations of the Inward Turn, an extreme form of methodological individualism, limit it significantly as a strategy for addressing climate change and other socially relevant environmental problems. After briefly reviewing major shortcomings with the way the Inward Turn conceptualizes the relationship between individuals and social change, including its neglect of causal structures and propensity to abstract its analysis away from problems that are specific to place and time, we sketch the basic tenets of an alternative methodological approach capable of overcoming these limitations. Our approach, however, does not go to the other extreme and neglect the role of individuals; rather, our recognition of the structural drivers of particular environmental problems points to the necessity of specific collective actions by individuals, for example, in the practice of social movements. This recognition demands a rethinking of the role of individual factors, like emotion and empathy, in addressing environmental sustainability problems, namely as they relate to collective action/social movement emergence, development, and outcomes.
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| 3. |
- Boda, Chad, et al.
(author)
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Every farmer is a farmer? : A critical analysis of the emergence and development of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana
- 2024
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In: Geoforum. - 1872-9398. ; 150
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smallholder farmer-based rural social movements have been heralded as a promising source of political power with the potential to effectively promote sustainable trajectories of agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. However, the very early stages of rural social movement building remain understudied, including under what conditions such nascent efforts are likely to lead to effective political influence and foundations for broader collective action. Drawing on insights from organizational studies and resource mobilization theories, we provide an analytical narrative of the emergence and development of a smallholder farmer-based policy advocacy organization, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG). Through analysis of organizational documents and an extensive open-ended focus group interview with PFAG’s founders, long-term members, and current staff, we discuss how PFAG managed to overcome the “liability of newness” faced by new organizations, and how its resulting organizational structure influences its modes of resource mobilization and thus type and coverage of its advocacy and service delivery activities. Considering this developmental narrative, we elaborate several challenges that PFAG faces in pursuit of its ambitions to expand its influence in Ghanaian agricultural policy and practice. Our findings indicate the need for PFAG to address emerging contradictions in project activities and uneven geographical coverage, manage tensions between advocacy and service delivery objectives and to work towards establishing an umbrella agenda capable of providing for the diverse and evolving needs of their membership base.
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| 4. |
- Boda, Chad, et al.
(author)
-
Every farmer is a farmer? A critical analysis of the emergence and development of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana
- 2024
-
In: Geoforum. - : Elsevier. - 0016-7185 .- 1872-9398. ; 150
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smallholder farmer-based rural social movements have been heralded as a promising source of political power with the potential to effectively promote sustainable trajectories of agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. However, the very early stages of rural social movement building remain understudied, including under what conditions such nascent efforts are likely to lead to effective political influence and foundations for broader collective action. Drawing on insights from organizational studies and resource mobilization theories, we provide an analytical narrative of the emergence and development of a smallholder farmer-based policy advocacy organization, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG). Through analysis of organizational documents and an extensive open-ended focus group interview with PFAG's founders, long-term members, and current staff, we discuss how PFAG managed to overcome the “liability of newness” faced by new organizations, and how its resulting organizational structure influences its modes of resource mobilization and thus type and coverage of its advocacy and service delivery activities. Considering this developmental narrative, we elaborate several challenges that PFAG faces in pursuit of its ambitions to expand its influence in Ghanaian agricultural policy and practice. Our findings indicate the need for PFAG to address emerging contradictions in project activities and uneven geographical coverage, manage tensions between advocacy and service delivery objectives and to work towards establishing an umbrella agenda capable of providing for the diverse and evolving needs of their membership base.
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| 5. |
- Byaruhanga, Ronald, et al.
(author)
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Rethinking the Alternatives: Food Sovereignty as a Prerequisite for Sustainable Food Security
- 2023
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In: Food Ethics. - 2364-6861. ; 8:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The concept of food sovereignty is primarily taken as an alternative to the prevailing neoliberal food security model. However, the approach has hitherto not received adequate attention from policy makers. This could be because the discourse is marked by controversies and contradictions, particularly regarding its ability to address the challenges of feeding a rapidly growing global population. In response to these criticisms, this paper argues that the principles of food sovereignty, such as democratic and transparent food systems, agroecology, and local market prioritization, should be fundamental pillars for achieving sustainable food security. It acknowledges that neither food sovereignty nor food security models alone can guarantee long-term food security, thus advocating for a blended approach that integrates these perspectives into a complex and interconnected system. This paper makes three significant contributions to the existing literature. Firstly, it emphasizes that food sovereignty should be seen as an integral component of transforming food systems towards sustainability, rather than a complete departure from neoliberal food systems. Secondly, it highlights the importance of adopting a multi-scalar approach, where decisions and policies for transforming food systems are context-specific and tailored to local circumstances. Lastly, the paper recognizes the necessity of institutional transformations that involve nation-states, social movements, and civil society organizations as key actors in the process of food system transformation. By reframing the discussion on food sovereignty and its relationship with food security, this paper provides insights into how these concepts can be mutually reinforcing, leading to more sustainable and equitable food systems.
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| 6. |
- Ellinor, Isgren, et al.
(author)
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Rural social movements and sustainable agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa: towards a collaborative research agenda
- 2023
-
In: Interface. - : Interface journal. - 2009-2431. ; 14:1, s. 22-45
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Agriculture is key to sustainable development globally – particularly in countries where agriculture both accounts for most of the land use and provides a livelihood for most of the population. We map out a collaborative research agenda aimed at tackling the urgent but poorly understood issue of the role of farmer organisations in overcoming political barriers to sustainable and inclusive agricultural development, with particular attention to sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Building on a critical and collaborative dialogue between a diversity of small-scale farmer-led organisations, local activist groups, transnational civil society networks, and heterogeneous academic institutions, our agenda is organized around two key objectives: 1) understanding the conditions for, development of and outcomes from farmer-based political mobilisation in rural areas; and 2) strengthening participatory, action-oriented research capacity for critically engaged research on agrarian questions in SSA. The approach we advocate emphasises the scientific and societal benefits of combining theoretically informed crosscountry comparison of farmer-based rural social movements, with deepening of academic-civil society collaboration
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Harnesk, David, et al.
(author)
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Sustainability as a Real Utopia – Heuristics for transformative sustainability research
- 2022
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In: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2514-8494 .- 2514-8486. ; 5:3, s. 1678-1695
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The idea of ‘Sustainability as a Real Utopia’ elaborated on here adapts sociologist Erik Olin Wright’s emancipatory social science and is a heuristic informed by critical realism and social theory for interdisciplinary research on viable alternatives that move society towards achieving sustainability. Starting from the proposition that many environmental problems are rooted in how social structures and institutions interact with nature by shaping human agency, we argue for concretely situated analysis aimed at guiding human agency towards changing those root causes. Then, drawing on concrete examples from sustainability research, we elaborate on three central tasks: diagnosing and critiquing environmental problems, elaborating viable alternatives and proposing a theory of transformation. Finally, we discuss, and welcome dialogue around two central and interlinked challenges of our approach to transformative sustainability research: that of scales, and that of the distinction and relationship between reforms and transformation.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Harnesk, David, et al.
(author)
-
Vill du rädda klimatet? Välj verkliga alternativ
- 2020
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In: ETC. - 1652-8980.
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Sabotera gasledningar, menar Andreas Malm. Vänta på ”riktig kris”, menar Alf Hornborg. Men det duger inte. Lösningen är att fortsätta agera kollektivt genom civilsamhället med olika metoder för att mobilisera bredare massor och sätta press på makthavare, skriver forskare vid Lunds universitet.
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| 13. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
-
Agroecology to Promote Just Sustainability Transitions: : Analysis of a Civil Society Network in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda
- 2017
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In: Sustainability. - 2071-1050. ; 9:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Agroecology is gaining ground within the debate on how to address systemic social and environmental problems in agriculture. However, it remains marginalized in agricultural research and development plans around the world. This paper analyzes agroecology as a socio-technical niche in Uganda, where its emergence in part can be seen as an unintended consequence of neoliberalist development. The case studied is a civil society network that links farmer groups and non-governmental organizations across different levels. Through the analytical lens of regime dimensions, we find that agroecology is practiced as a smallholder-centric approach that champions collective action, locally appropriate technologies, participatory methods in research and extension, and calls for more active state guidance of agricultural change along specific principles. However, two major concerns are raised; the niche converges with the dominant discourse around commercialization, and policy advocacy is hampered by the apolitical history of NGOs and an increasingly tense political climate. These two areas are critical for agroecology to contribute to just sustainability transitions, and civil society organizations with strong links to smallholder farmers need to be included in the growing scholarly debate both to inform it and to receive guidance from it. Transition frameworks can help facilitate the development of viable institutional designs and explicitly transformative strategies, but we also point towards the need for engagement with theories on civil society collective action and political mobilization.
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| 14. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Alternativa försäljningskanaler för nöt- och lammkött : kartläggning och analys
- 2012
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Den här rapporten syftar till att kartlägga de alternativa försäljningskanaler för nöt-och lammkött som finns i Sverige (dvs. verksamheter utöver dagligvaruhandeln som säljer nöt- och/eller lammkött direkt till slutkonsument), samt att genom en kvalitativ intervjustudie få en djupare förståelse för verksamhetskategorierna identifierade genom kartläggningen. Kartläggningen utfördes med internet som verktyg och identifierade 395 olika verksamheter i tre huvudkategorier; gårdsbutiker (95), försäljning av köttlådor (200) och köttbutiker (100). Gårdsbutiker säljer ofta kött tillsammans med andra typer av produkter. Köttlådor säljs framför allt från enskilda producenter men det finns även företag och föreningar som gemensamt säljer och marknadsför sina produkter. Köttbutiker ligger ofta i tätorter och har ibland även egen produktion knuten till sig. Någon typ av verksamhet har identifierats i de flesta av Sveriges landskap, men antalet identifierade verksamheter varierar från inga alls i Lappland och Härjedalen till över 60 i Uppland, Västergötland och Uppland, med en genomsnittlig koncentration på en verksamhet per 24 000 invånare. Befolknings- och djurhållningstäthet är troligen en stor del av förklaringen till variationen, men det kan även finnas andra faktorer, till exempel att en verksamhet ger upphov till fler, tillgång till slakterier som kan samarbeta med småskaliga aktörer, och turism. Intervjustudien utfördes med 5 verksamheter från varje huvudkategori, dvs. totalt 15 verksamheter via telefon eller personligt möte. Alla intervjuade verksamheter sålde kött från egen produktion och/eller svenskt och så närproducerat som möjligt (detta är dock inte nödvändigtvis fallet då det finns ett mindre antal köttbutiker identifierade genom kartläggningen som även eller endast säljer importerat kött). Personerna bakom verksamheterna var i varierande åldrar men hade gemensamt att man ofta sen länge hade en koppling till orten eller regionen man var verksam i samt att det fanns ett stort personligt intresse för hållbarhet, djurvälfärd och köttkvalitet. Man var överlag positivt inställd till verksamhetens framtidsutsikter då man såg ett ökande intresse och kunskap bland konsumenterna rörande köttets ursprung, kvalitet och hälsoaspekter, detta trots att producenterna i studien ofta såg en blygsam lönsamhet och en stor arbetsinsats (köttbutiksinnehavarna tycktes uppfatta lönsamheten som relativt god, ibland över förväntan). Det finns tecken, utöver verksamhetsutövarnas intryck, som tyder på att de alternativa försäljningskanalerna är på frammarsch då många verksamheter (både inom intervjustudien och kartläggningen i stort) startats inom 1-2 år; däremot är det okänt hur många verksamheter som lagts ned under samma period. Verksamheternas erfarenheter är dock inte odelat positiva. Det finns bland en del en viss skepticism då intresset förvisso har ökat men att de allra flesta konsumenter fortfarande endast är intresserade av köttets pris och har vant sig vid dagligvaruhandelns billiga livsmedel. En producent upplever också att andra producenter säljer till orimligt låga priser vilket försvårar möjligheterna till lönsamhet. Prisvariationen för vissa produkter är stor och tycks inte endast kunna förklaras av skillnader i kvalitet och styckning. Andra problem inkluderar bristande kunskap bland konsumenterna rörande de mindre ädla detaljerna, krånglig byråkrati, och en s.k. ”inflation” i vagt definierade begrepp som närproducerat. Just detta att köttet är närproducerat eller kanske framför allt att man vet var köttet kommer ifrån och hur djuren haft det tror verksamhetsutövarna är viktiga mervärden för kunderna, liksom att köttet håller en hög kvalitet. Förbättrad lönsamhet för producenter med egen försäljning, hur man som verksamhet utmärker och marknadsför sig när det finns fler och fler som erbjuder samma eller liknande mervärden, utbyte av kunskap och erfarenheter och samverkan med olika typer av aktörer är viktiga frågor inför framtiden.
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| 15. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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An Environmental Justice Perspective on Smallholder Pesticide Use in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 2021
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In: The Journal of Environment & Development. - : SAGE Publications. - 1552-5465 .- 1070-4965. ; 30:1, s. 68-97
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pesticide use is increasing in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and many smallholders purchase, handle, and apply toxic pesticides with inadequate equipment, knowledge, and technical support. Through the frame of environmental justice, this literature-based study analyzes characteristics, impacts, and drivers of smallholder pesticide use in sub-Saharan Africa, with particular attention to Uganda as a case. We find that market liberalization, poor regulation enforcement, and persistent neglect of agricultural extension place the burden of risk largely on farmers, while perceived necessity of pesticides and the elusive nature of impacts (especially under conditions of insufficient monitoring) likely delay social mobilization around pesticides. The environmental justice frame, which has seen limited application in smallholder contexts, importantly helps delineate future directions for research and practice. It is particularly effective for redirecting focus from highly limited managerial solutions for “safe use” toward deeper problem drivers and solutions capable of tackling them.
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| 16. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, 1987, et al.
(author)
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Are agricultural extension systems ready to scale up ecological intensification in East Africa? A literature review with particular attention to the Push-Pull Technology (PPT)
- 2023
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In: Food Security. - 1876-4517. ; 15, s. 1399-1420
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Agricultural extension, or advisory services, have a key role to play in supporting farmers' learning and adoption of new practices and technologies. This paper analyses gaps and needs which require addressing in order for extension systems to more effectively contribute to the upscaling of ecological intensification approaches in East African smallholder agriculture. Our starting point is the push-pull technology (PPT), a promising approach. PPT originated in East Africa and is being continuously improved through cycles of interdisciplinary and participatory experimentation. Despite well-documented benefits to farmers and the environment, more institutional support from agricultural extension systems (AES) is needed for PPT to realise significant impact on poverty reduction, food security, and sustainability. Departing from this assessment, we review literature on AES in five East African countries. After clarifying the AES characteristics that ecological intensification requires, emphasising the capacity to embrace complexity, we identify four thematic areas that are in urgent need of attention: first, widely recognised problems with access and inclusiveness have seen welcome innovation but remain substantial. Second, information and communication technologies provide many benefits and new possibilities, but expectations must be tempered. Third, pluralistic AES present coordination challenges that risk undermining and misdirecting extension. Finally, the political-economic underpinnings of extension require critical scrutiny and strategic interventions. While many challenges threaten extension effectiveness broadly, we highlight implications for ecological intensification approaches like PPT. Our insights thus speak to the broader question of how to design and implement extension for sustainable agricultural development in East Africa.
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| 17. |
- Isgren, Ellinor
(author)
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Between Nature and Modernity : Agroecology as an alternative development pathway: the case of Uganda
- 2018
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Agricultural modernization has massively increased global food supply, but at a high environmental cost. Today many are calling for an agricultural ‘paradigm shift’, including several mainstream institutions. But to what? In recent years, agroecology has gained credence as an alternative approach that seeks to understand and manage farms as complex agroecosystems. From a development perspective, it is argued to not only hold potential for sustainable agriculture, but also as a model for inclusive development thanks to its particular applicability in sites dominated by small-scale low-capital farming. Uganda is one of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa where much hope is currently placed in gricultural development for poverty alleviation, economic growth and food security. Yet despite its promise to resolve tensions between development and environmental sustainability, agroecology remains largely ignored.The aim of this thesis is to understand if and how agroecology has potential to constitute a desirable and viable alternative pathway of agricultural development, and to provide insights about its achievability in Uganda. I do so by employing a research strategy rooted in critical modernity, critical realism and emancipatory social science, and by combining fieldwork methods and secondary material via an interdisciplinary approach. The thesis is structured around three interlinked tasks. First, I provide a critique of conventional agricultural modernization where I identify limitations and contradictions internal to this model of development, and explain the emergence and persistence of the particularly problematic form of agrarian politics in Uganda under the NRM regime. Second, I scrutinize the claim that agroecology offers a sustainable and viable model of agricultural development, and argue that there is convincing evidence for its potential to do so. When analyzing how this alternative is being implemented in Uganda today, and by whom, I find that agroecology is typically pursued by actors in civil society and academia as a form of smallholder-oriented ‘modernization from below’. Agroecology contributes by providing principles for sustainable and locally adapted agriculture. However, I also find substantial barriers to agroecology that are structural in kind, and require more overt confrontation of ‘modernization from above’. Third, therefore, I analyze the conditions for political engagement and broader mobilization for agroecology within Ugandan civil society, by looking at its historical formation and current strategies at national and local level.Beyond insights about the specific dynamics of agrarian change in Uganda, the thesis makes two main contributions: 1) it theorizes agroecology and its role in agricultural development, thus taking steps forward towards rethinking agricultural modernity, and 2) it advances the maturing field of sustainability science by using emancipatory social science to promote its critical problem-solving agenda.
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| 18. |
- Isgren, Ellinor
(author)
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‘If the change is going to happen it's not by us' : Exploring the role of NGOs in the politicization of Ugandan agriculture
- 2018
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In: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier BV. - 0743-0167. ; 63, s. 180-189
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sustainable agricultural development that prioritizes the needs and respects the rights of smallholder farmers is widely framed as a societal goal by both national governments and international institutions. However, in many places this remains an elusive goal, not least in sub-Saharan Africa. The past decades have seen new types of rural social movements emerge, demanding socially just and environmentally sustainable trajectories of agrarian change. But there are also places where this is seemingly not the case, Uganda being one. Based on qualitative research involving civil society organizations at the national and regional level, this paper analyzes contemporary civil society dynamics around agriculture in Uganda against a historical backdrop. Social division and civil society NGOization have contributed to unfavorable conditions for rural social movement emergence, but not irreversibly. Systematic policy advocacy engagement appears to be on the rise amongst agriculture-oriented NGOs, and while it is generally non-confrontational, contentious claims-making does happen. NGOs also aspire to facilitate farmer-led mobilization, although their logics of intervention differ and would benefit from more dialogue and theoretical grounding. For moving forward in NGOized contexts like Uganda, three points are emphasized: NGO-led and farmer-led mobilization is not a simple dichotomy; their relationship need not be antagonistic and there are several possible ways to seek synergies; and fostering capacity for farmers' contentious claims-making must involve counterhegemonic struggle. The paper ends by suggesting three areas for agri-food scholars interested in the complex interactions between NGOs and rural social movements.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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New perennial grains in African smallholder agriculture from a farming systems perspective. A review
- 2020
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In: Agronomy for Sustainable Development. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1773-0155 .- 1774-0746. ; 40:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perennial grain crops are gaining increased attention from researchers as one possible solution to agriculture’s many sustainability challenges. In the Sub-Saharan African context, perennial varieties of crops such as sorghum, rice, and pigeon pea have potential to provide numerous benefits for smallholder farmers. The introduction and adoption of new crops and practices is however a complex process that needs to be approached from an interdisciplinary and participatory perspective. We here review the small but growing body of knowledge about on-farm adoption and the use of perennial grains around the world, as well as the more extensive literature of farming systems research. We conclude that a farming systems approach offers a fruitful entry point for informing the emerging research agenda around perennial grains in African smallholder agriculture. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of the potentials and challenges of perennial grains also requires cross-scalar analysis capable of looking beyond the farming system. We thus outline five key considerations for developing and studying new perennial grains in smallholder contexts, i.e., (1) smallholder farming systems are complex, diverse, and locally adapted; (2) decision-making is shaped by various resource constraints; (3) farming is often “semi-subsistence” and forms part of broader livelihood strategies, wherein risk is an important factor; (4) gender relations and roles influence many aspects of smallholder farming systems; and (5) analyses of farmers’ production systems, decision-making, and livelihood strategies must be embedded within a broader political-economic context. Based on these considerations, we suggest directions and examples of key questions for future research and derive methodological implications for how such research could be approached.
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| 21. |
- Isgren, Ellinor
(author)
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No quick fixes : four interacting constraints to advancing agroecology in Uganda
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1473-5903 .- 1747-762X. ; 14:4, s. 428-447
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A century after its inception, agroecology has entered mainstream development debates as a more sustainable alternative to conventional agricultural modernization of relevance not least for improving smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Agroecology is a broad concept considered to have transformative potential, yet as a research field it has often been technology-centred and focused at the local level. Building on the experiences of Ugandan agroecologists working in an array of agricultural professions throughout the country, this paper identifies and discusses major barriers to agroecology in Uganda. Inductive analysis of qualitative data from interviews and focus groups generated four types of interacting barriers; constraints at farmer level, an agricultural knowledge system favouring conventional approaches, adverse and intertwined political and economic interests, and cross-cutting ideological and discursive pressures. These broad challenges become manifest in the accounts presented, making clear that barriers to and therefore also appropriate strategies for advancing agroecology must be treated as contextual even if a ‘global movement’ is emerging around it. The discussion suggests theoretical lenses for further inquiry into agroecology and its realization in light of these constraints.
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| 22. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Pluralism in Search of Sustainability: Ethics, Knowledge and Methdology in Sustainability Science
- 2017
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In: Challenges in Sustainability. - : Librello. - 2297-6477. ; 5:1, s. 2-6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sustainability Science is an emerging, transdisciplinary academic field that aims to help build a sustainable global society by drawing on and integrating research from the humanities and the social, natural, medical and engineering sciences. Academic knowledge is combined with that from relevant actors from outside academia, such as policy-makers, businesses, social organizations and citizens. The field is focused on examining the interactions between human, environmental, and engineered systems to understand and contribute to solutions for complex challenges that threaten the future of humanity and the integrity of the life support systems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and land and water degradation. Since its inception in around the year 2000, and as expressed by a range of proponents in the field, sustainability science has become an established international platform for interdisciplinary research on complex social problems [1]. This has been done by exploring ways to promote ‘greater integration and cooperation in fulfilling the sustainability science mandate’ [2]. Sustainability science has thereby become an extremely diverse academic field, yet one with an explicit normative mission. After nearly two decades of sustainability research, it is important to reflect on a major question: what critical knowledge can we gain from sustainability science research on persistent socio-ecological problems and new sustainability challenges?
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| 23. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Science has much to offer social movements in the face of planetary emergencies
- 2019
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In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; 3:11, s. 1498-1498
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To the Editor — Ecologists Gardner and Wordley1 recently argued that in the face of “interconnected planetary emergencies threatening our climate and ecosystems,” information on the severity and urgency of the problem is insufficient to promote the necessary social and political change. Thus, “scientists should join civil disobedience movements to fight these unprecedented crises”. That the realization that facts alone may be insufficient is only now making headlines in the context of climate change is not the fault of the authors, but rather symptomatic of a long-standing disconnect between the natural and social sciences. While we support their ambitions, we argue that Gardner and Wordley neglect one of the most important, powerful and unique avenues for scientists to contribute to social movements — that is, with our arduously accumulated knowledge about processes of social and political change
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| 24. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Strukturer och strategier för lönsam produktion och säker tillförsel av inhemskt nötkött : Lärdomar från McDonald’s europeiska leverantörskedjor
- 2013
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- I den här rapporten presenteras resultatet från ett forskningsprojekt utfört vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet i samarbete med McDonald’s Sverige, Sveriges Nötköttsproducenter och LRF. Syftet var att dra lärdomar från några av McDonald’s europeiska motsvarigheter och deras leverantörskedja, kring hur olika strukturer och strategier i kedjan kan hjälpa till att stimulera och stärka produktionen av inhemskt nötkött och därmed också säkra tillgången. Efter litteraturstudier intervjuades personer inom leverantörskedjan i Österrike, Irland och Storbritannien under våren 2013. Materialet kompletterades sedan med intervjuer med personer inom den svenska nötköttskedjan. Rapportens resultatdel inleds med en översikt över nötköttsproduktion och -marknad i de fyra länderna. Skillnader och likheter diskuteras, och både i skillnaderna och i likheterna god potential till kunskapsöverföring mellan länderna – även om det måste göras med viss försiktighet. När vi tittar närmre på de kedjor som kan sägas utgöra vår ”fallstudie” har vi identifierat ett antal faktorer som kan kunna ligga till grund för rekommendationer för svenska nötköttskedjor. En är hur man inom producentledet organiserar sig i form av olika typer av producentföreningar och -grupper. Vi uppmuntrar utvecklingen mot mer organisation av olika typer inom det svenska producentledet. Vi såg också ett ökat fokus på samarbete mellan olika nivåer i kedjan, och flera exempel visas upp i rapporten, såsom gemensamma satsningar på kunskapsöverföring och utveckling av kvalitetssäkringssystem. Det råder en stor tilltro till att samarbete och god kommunikation genom hela kedjan är en nödvändig och framgångsrik strategi för nötköttssektorn. Alla tre kedjor använder sig av de omfattande kvalitetssäkringssystem som utvecklats för inhemskt nötkött. Systemen har växt fram utifrån konsumenternas efterfrågan och krav, vilket kanske är den största anledningen till att de ses som en nödvändig och generellt positiv utveckling. Ett annorlunda utgångsläge i Sverige gör att vi ställer oss tveksamma till att försöka efterlikna dessa länder på den här punkten. I Österrikes kedja har man dock även utvecklat ett system specifikt för McDonald’s kedja. I utbyte för att uppfylla företagets krav får producenter en merbetalning per kg av slaktvikten. På så sätt vill man bidra på ett mer direkt sätt till den inhemska produktionen av en viss sorts nötkött. I alla fyra länder är det köparna, såsom dagligvaruhandeln, som uppfattas ha makten i kedjan - vilket ses som problematiskt. Det här behöver angripas från två håll; dels behöver producenterna göra vad de kan för att skapa en bättre position genom till exempel organisation, och dessutom utnyttja sin befintliga förhandlingskraft bättre. Dels behöver köpare som månar om att kunna köpa inhemskt nötkött även i framtiden anamma mer långsiktiga strategier, där man tar hänsyn till vad som händer i hela kedjan och inte bara i transaktionen med den direkta leverantören. Rapporten avslutas med våra slutsatser och rekommendationer som riktar sig mot producenter såväl som förädlingsledet och köpare, samt några mot sektorn som helhet.
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| 25. |
- Isgren, Ellinor, et al.
(author)
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Sustainability science must challenge common sense : A response to Bodin (2021)
- 2022
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In: Sustainability Science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1862-4057 .- 1862-4065. ; 17:6, s. 2643-2645
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this comment, we respond to the claim of (Bodin, Sustain Sci 16: 2151–2155, 2021) that sustainability science, as a research community, has begun to “lean to the left” in a problematic manner. On one hand, we remain unconvinced by the examples cited as indications for this tendency, and argue for caution in making such judgements. On the other hand, we hold that that there may be reasons for seemingly “left leaning” positions which are scientific rather than purely political or ideological. Finally, we urge sustainability scientists to take heed of social theorists’ insights regarding the pitfalls of common sense analysis. This can better enable open and reflexive debate on the field’s development as well as the challenges it seeks to address.
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