There are two ways of understanding assemblages of humans and non-humans inspired by actor-network theory (ANT): consolidation and fluidification. ANT argues that both subjects and objects take shape as a result of assemblages of numerous heterogeneous ingredients. There is, however, some disagreement over how these subjects and objects travel far and endure while staying the same. On the one hand, ‘consolidation’ suggests that heterogeneous materials should be consolidated into networks so that the integrity of assemblages remains while subjects and objects relocate. On the other hand, ‘fluidification’ suggests that fluid-like adaptation may be more feasible, although the integrity of subjects or objects may be at stake. The thesis investigates this tension between the two modes of assemblage via a historical and ethnographic study of milkfish farming in Taiwan and an examination of unsuccessful efforts to export them to mainland China. This study first explores the mutual formation of milkfish and milkfish farming and argues that not only are the physical characteristics of milkfish shaped alongside the socio-technical transformation of the milkfish assemblage, but the fish also act as an agent involved in the shaping of milkfish assemblage. Secondly, this study draws attention to how an industrial version of milkfish as a bulk commodity takes shape as well as how it is enacted so that it becomes the dominant reality for milkfish. It is argued that, paradoxically, this version of reality is maintained through fluidification, in which human actors compromise with enacted multiplicities of milkfish. Thirdly, this study turns to the milkfish export scheme. Set up under the auspices of the Chinese government in 2011, milkfish were exported to Shanghai. But milkfish failed to find a market in Shanghai, and so the export scheme was terminated in 2016. This study first reveals that the material characteristics of ‘ready-made’ milkfish are not easy to integrate into local ways of cooking and eating. Moreover, the fish are excluded from adaptation, while the scheme was adapted in practice to suit the requirements of various other actors brought together by the scheme. This thesis suggests that the lower the demand for milkfish in China, the higher is the need for such an export scheme in Taiwan, but that such a scheme will most likely take the form of continued ‘consolidation’, keeping the export of unsalable fish going while bringing minimal changes to the status quo of milkfish assemblage. Overall, this study of milkfish argues for the co-existence, in tension, of consolidation and fluidification. That is, neither mode of assemblage is in opposition to nor replaceable by the other. The implications for material politics of this study include not only a need to make visible the work of ‘purification’ that keeps both subjects and objects apparently separate from one another, and from others within each realm, but also a need to highlight efforts to erase other possible modes of assemblage, in which the formation of objects and of object-oriented collectives are embedded differently.

This thesis presents an ethnography of the processes and practices through which Australian grape and wine producers attempt to produce, and to assess, quality and value in the materials with which they work. Drawing on participant observation research conducted within two wine companies in South Australia – one owned by a multinational beverage conglomerate, one a family-owned boutique winery – this thesis engages with three overarching questions, which engage with the concerns of agro-food studies and of social studies of markets. First, how – and with what economic effects – are the sensory qualities of materials made to matter within the Australian wine industry? Second, how do grape and wine producers pursue wine quality in a more-than-human world, and in what ways might their endeavours problematise extant theorisations of economic agency? Finally, what might be the consequences of Australian wine producers’ recent engagements with principles of grape and wine quality centred upon geographical origin? In response to these questions, this thesis explores time-reckoning and value production in viticultural practice, the pricing of winegrapes during a fungal disease epidemic, the commercial relationships convened through the production of large-volume mass-market wine blends, and Australian wine producers’ recent attempts to produce ‘wines from somewhere.’ These empirical engagements lead it to argue that the qualification and valuation practices deployed within the Australian wine industry do not simply affect the qualities and prices of grapes and wines. They also shape economic agencies and vulnerabilities, organise and value commercial relationships among grape growers and wine producers, and reassemble the economic geographies of Australian grape production. This thesis concludes that because different ways of pursuing quality enact these phenomena in different ways, much may depend not only upon how successfully, but also upon how – through what techniques, practices, and associations – quality is pursued.

Depuis les années 1990, des Organisations Non-Gouvernementales (ONG) se sont impliquées de manière croissante dans la définition et la résolution des problèmes sociaux et environnementaux liés aux activités des entreprises. En actant tout au long des chaînes de production globales, ces ONG ont transformé les marchés, où ces entreprises opèrent, en espaces de plus en plus contestés. De nos jours, la littérature disponible sur les agissements des ONG dans des contextes corporatifs catégorise les stratégies d'influence des ONG comme étant soit de confrontation, soit de coopération. Notre recherche vise à amener une vision plus nuancée à ces dichotomies théoriques, notamment nous cherchons à mieux comprendre les possibles approches mixtes entre confrontation et coopération qui peuvent avoir lieu dans une même stratégie d'influence. Empiriquement nous nous sommes focalisés sur différentes stratégies d'influence menées par trois des ONG Environnementales les plus reconnues au monde : le Fonds Mondial pour la Nature, Greenpeace et les Amis de la Terre, au sein d'un même secteur économique, l'agro-industrie du soja. L'étude examine plus particulièrement la progression individuelle de ces stratégies, ainsi que les convergences et divergences entre elles. Notre analyse montre premièrement, que les ONG définissent leurs stratégies d'action en fonction et en interaction avec celles des autres ONG agissant sur le secteur. Les ONG cherchent à intégrer des améliorations soit dans le projet soit dans le procès d'influence collectif. Deuxièmement, nous avons montré que les stratégies d'influence individuelles impliquent souvent une approche hybride entre collaboration et confrontation. Cette approche peut prendre deux formes distinctes : dynamique évolutive (de la confrontation vers la coopération) ou duale (coopération et confrontation simultanée). / Since the 1990s, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been increasingly involved in defining and solving social and environmental problems related to business activities. Extant literature analysing NGOs mobilization in corporate contexts, commonly characterizes NGOs' influence strategies as either confrontational or collaborative. Our research aims to bring a more nuanced view of these theoretical dichotomies, in particular we seek to better understand the possible mixed approaches, using both confrontation and collaboration, that can take place within one strategy. Empirically we focused on different strategies of influence conducted by three of the world's most recognized Environmental NGOs : World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth (FoE), in the same economic sector, the soybean agribusiness. The study looks specifically at the individual progress of these strategies, as well as the similarities and differences between them. Our analysis shows firstly that NGOs strategies develop in an interrelated and dialectic process, building on each other achievements and shortcomings. Second, we showed that the impact of individual strategies often involve a hybrid approach between collaboration and confrontation. This approach can take two distinct forms : a progressive dynamics (from confrontation to cooperation) or dual one (simultaneous cooperation and confrontation). These initial results contribute globally to the emerging NGO-Business literature, and speak to current attempts that seek to overcome static and dyadic approaches of NGO-Business relations.

Due to unsustainable production and consumption patterns that cause climate changes, current socio-technical systems, such as the agro-food system, must rapidly undergo sustainability transitions. To transition socio-technical systems is however complex and it usually takes decades, and it is therefore crucial to study how socio-technical systems can transition faster.  Aim – This study aims to investigate under what circumstances a sustainability transition through an increased cultivation of grain-legumes in Sweden can take place and be accelerated. In order to guide the study and thus fulfil the purpose, two research questions have been formulated: 1)  “What are the current main factors that hinder a sustainability transition in terms of an increased cultivation of grain-legumes in the current agricultural value chain of crop production in Sweden?” 2)  “What prerequisites are required to accelerate sustainability transitions in the agricultural value chain of crop production in terms of an increased cultivation of grain-legumes in Sweden?” Method – The methodology used is a qualitative case study of the Swedish agricultural value chain of crop production. The data was collected through interviews, literature review and webinars. The data collected through interviewing was analyzed by using a thematic analysis.  Findings – One main hindering factor refer to the absence of certain value chain processes, both when it comes to actors that can provide Swedish plant-based food producers with extracted proteins from grain-legumes and when it comes to actors that can receive, sort, peel and pack grain-legumes for human consumption at an industrial level. Other main hindering factors regards the lack of financial incentives at several levels as well as a structured and stabilized agricultural socio-technical regime characterized by path dependencies and lock-ins. The found prerequisites required in order to accelerate sustainability transitions include for instance having certain value chain processes to come into place, steer large investments and educated people in the right direction to drive innovation and development as well as an increased sustainability transitioning pressure from the civil society in Sweden.   Implications – The findings of this thesis can increase the knowledge of actors engaged in the agricultural value chain of crop production, but also provide valuable insights for the whole Swedish agro-food sector. This study also provides insights regarding how a sustainability transition can be accelerated based on the findings from the studied case. Another implication is that a larger focus, when researching sustainability transitions, should be put on the role of civil society to understand and facilitate faster sustainability transitions in socio-technical systems. Limitations – The political perspective is not considered, the internal strategies of actors have not been investigated and the focus has only been at the environmental dimension of sustainability, not on the social or economic dimensions.

Employing a political-economic approach, we examine the Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean. In doing so, we highlight historical transformations in fishing operations given the commodification of bluefin tuna and the growth imperative of capitalism. Fieldwork in Sicily and Sardinia, in-depth interviews, and primary and secondary data inform this analysis. Within the global agro-food system, traditional trap fisheries that operated for centuries have diminished. Industrialized fishing and tuna-ranching operations - that make use of high-tech, capital-intensive methods - have reorganized production, including the labour process, the capture of fish and the lifecycles of bluefin tuna. In an attempt to profit from the exploitation of the most prized fish in the world, capitalist fishing operations are harvesting bluefin tuna at a rate that exceeds the reproductive capabilities of the existing stock, which has had negative consequences for the traditional trap fishery and may lead to the collapse of this fishery. Modern capitalist social relations have destabilized an ecological system that has long been coupled with human systems within a few decades, with extensive socio-ecological consequences. Aquaculture, as a proposed solution, is a technological fix, which cannot resolve fundamental ecological contradictions.

Depuis une dizaine d'années, les procédés de granulation aérobie sont apparus comme une technologie prometteuse pour le traitement des effluents fortement chargés en azote, phosphore et carbone, tels que ceux issus de l'agro-industrie. La complexité microbienne de ces granules et les mécanismes qui leur donnent des propriétés exceptionnelles de décantation et de cohésion, constituent encore des axes de recherche importants. Dans cette thèse, le travail s'est axé sur un mécanisme encore non étudié : les processus de précipitation des phosphates au cœur des granules microbiennes. Différentes techniques d'analyses spectrales, parfois adaptés pour la première fois à ce type de systèmes, comme la spectroscopie Raman, ont permis de caractériser la nature de ces minéraux formés au cœur des granules. L'analyse menée sur des réacteurs de laboratoires a démontré la présence des phosphates de calcium sous forme d'hydroxyapatite [Ca5(PO4)3(OH)]. Cette précipitation est potentiellement induite par les variations locales de pH et de sursaturation provoqués par les réactions microbiennes à l'intérieur des granules. L'étude des phénomènes de biominéralisation à été étendu aux granules anaérobies issus des réacteurs de type UASB de l'industrie laitière. Un modèle physico-chimique sur les processus de précipitation sous forme matriciel sur AQUASIM®, couplé avec des bases de calcul de sursaturation (PHREEQC®), ont permis d'avancer des hypothèses sur les mécanismes influençant ces processus de biominéralisation, tels que la formation d'un précurseur amorphe de l'hydroxyapatite (ACP), ainsi que d'identifier les constantes de précipitation thermodynamiques (pKsp|20ºC=28.07±0.58) et cinétiques dans différentes conditions opératoires. Grâce au suivi d'un système biologique GSBR (Granular Sludge Sequenced Batch Reactor) pendant plus de 900 jours, la contribution de ce phénomène aux processus de déphosphatation a été estimé (46% dans les conditions testées). L'utilisation de ce processus pour immobiliser efficacement le phosphore et apporter des propriétés physiques stables aux granules a été également discutée. Une évaluation des performances et de la stabilité du réacteur à été mis en œuvre en alternant des cycles anoxies/aérobies ou anaérobies/aérobies vis-à-vis d'une future application industrielle. L'induction locale de la précipitation par les variations de pH et par le relargage des phosphates par les réactions microbiennes, nécessite une modélisation appropriée, qui a été également initiée dans cette thèse / Over the last decade, aerobic granulation processes have araised as a promising technology for treating wastewater effluents containing high nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon concentrations. The microbial complexity of granules and the mechanisms by which they acquire excellent settleability properties, still constitute important research goals to investigate. This thesis is focused on a mechanism that has been little addressed in literature, that is, phosphate precipitation in the core of aerobic granules. Different analytical techniques, sometimes adapted for the first time to this type of systems, like Raman spectroscopy, have let an exhaustive characterization of biominerals in the core of granules. Analyses performed on aerobic granules grown with synthetic fed in a lab-scale SBR (Sequential Batch Reactor), revealed a calcium phosphate core made of hydroxyapatite [Ca5(PO4)3(OH)]. This precipitation phenomenon is induced by local pH and supersaturation gradients issued of biological reactions inside granules. The study of the biomineralization phenomenon has been extended into anaerobic granules coming from UASB reactors at different cheese wastewater treatment plants. A physico-chemical model has been described in a form of matrix with AQUASIM® software, and coupled with a thermodynamic database (PHREEQC®), in an attempt to hypothesize the mechanisms that influence the biomineralization phenomena. It has been proposed the formation of an amorphous precursor (ACP) prior hydroxyapatite precipitation in the core of granules, suggesting the thermodynamic constant (pKsp|20ºC=28.07±0.58) and kinetic constants at different operating conditions. It has been also estimated the contribution of the biomineralization to the overall phosphorus removal process (up to 46% at the operating conditions tested), thanks to the development and study of a GSBR (Granular Sludge Batch Reactor) in labscale, for more than 900 days. The fate of the biomineralization process in granules, regarding the contribution to their stabilization and physical properties, has been also dealt in this thesis. The reactor stability and performances have been assessed by alternating anoxic/aerobic and anaerobic/aerobic cycles, in sights of a future industrial application. The induction of precipitation by local variation of pH and supersaturation issued of biological reactions has been here introduced, although it will need further investigation

Em termos globais, existe urna tendência crescente na demanda por alimentos saudáveis e seguros. Visando esta demanda, a carne de avestruz é vista corno uma opção. A indústria sul-africana é a grande abastecedora da União Européia (UE) e o Brasil tenta disputar esse mercado, que é extremamente exigente em regras que garantam a produção de um alimento seguro, o que torna de vital importância um gerenciamento da qualidade em todas as fases de produção. Este estudo analisa o sistema agroindustrial da carne de avestruz, investigando os atributos de qualidade do produto divulgados por meio eletrônico de comunicação em dois países, África do Sul e Brasil, e comparando-os às necessidades de bem-estar do consumidor. Após pesquisa bibliográfica teórica, elaborou-se pesquisa documental, na qual os dados quantitativos do setor foram obtidos em fontes governamentais de cada país e os qualitativos em reportagens divulgadas em meio eletrônico e nos sites das empresas líderes de mercado em cada país, posteriormente submetidos à técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que a produção sul africana atende às normas de gerenciamento de qualidade exigidas pelo bloco europeu, mas isso não foi suficientes para evitar reincidência de Influenza A em seu rebanho. Por outro lado, o brasileiro ainda não implementou o Plano Nacional de Controle de Resíduos (PNCR), sem o qual não consegue exportar, o que implica na obrigatoriedade de venda para o mercado interno, que possuí baixa demanda. Na comunicação adotada, ambos os países focam, principalmente, a dimensão biológica, seguido pelo bem-estar psicológico: o prazer de comer bem. / In global terms, there is a growing trend in the demand for healthy and safe food. Aiming this demand, ostrich meat is seen as an option. The South African industry is the major supplier of the European Union (EU) and Brazil tries to play this market, which has extremely demanding rules to ensure a safe food production, which makes a vital quality management in all stages of production. This study analyzes the agribusiness system of ostrich meat, investigating the quality attributes of the product disclosed by electronic means of communication in both countries, South Africa and Brazil, and comparing them to the needs of well-being of the consumer. After theoretical literature, was conducted archival research in which quantitative data were obtained from industry sources and government of each country in the qualitative reports electronically and posted on the websites of leading companies in each Country, then submitted to technique of content analysis. The results show that South African production meets quality management standards. required by the European bloc, but this was not sufficient to prevent recurrence of Influenza A in his flock. On the other hand, the Brazilian has yet to implement the National Plan for Waste Management (PNCR), without which it can not export, which implies the obligation to sell to the domestic market, which has low demand, Communication adopted in both countries focus mainly the biological dimension, followed by psychological well-being: the pleasure of eating well.

Les biofilms en industries agroalimentaires (IAA) représentent un problème récurrent aux conséquences économiques et de sécurité sanitaire. Le développement de surfaces photoactives aux propriétés antibactériennes pourrait faciliter leur élimination. Une solution serait de déposer une couche mince de dioxyde de titane (TiO2) sur des matériaux rencontrés dans les IAA. Les objectifs de cette thèse ont donc été d’optimiser des couches minces de TiO2 aux propriétés antibactériennes et d’étudier les mécanismes impliqués dans la photocatalyse. Les dépôts sont réalisés par pulvérisation cathodique radiofréquence dans différentes conditions (température, PO2, durée), d’abord sur substrat de verre puis sur acier inoxydable 316La caractérisation des couches minces par microscopie à balayage, diffraction des rayons X, a montré des différences dues au changement de substrat. Les différentes optimisations ont conduit à l’obtention de couches minces possédant une activité photocatalytique et des propriétés antibactériennes sur des souches représentatives de la flore retrouvée dans les IAA de la filière « viande » : L. monocytogenes, Y. enterocolitica et P. fragi. Des diminutions de la population bactérienne entre 1,5Log et 3Log ont été observées. La production d’espèces réactives de l’oxygène (H2O2, ¿OH, O2-¿) a été étudiée par des méthodes spectrocolorimétriques. L’H2O2 à la surface de la couche mince serait converti en ¿OH. L’étude des mécanismes de réponse de L. monocytogenes face à la photocatalyse des couches minces a été initiée par une approche transcriptomique, en suivant l’exp / Biofilms in food industries represent a recurrent problem with economic and health safety implications. The development of photoactive surfaces with antibacterial properties could facilitate their elimination. One solution would be to deposit a thin layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on conventional materials used in food plants. The objectives of this thesis were the optimization of thin films of TiO2 with antibacterial properties and to study the mechanisms involved in photocatalysis. Deposits were made by radio-frequency sputtering under different conditions (temperature, oxygen partial pressure, duration), first on a glass substrate and then on 316 stainless steel. Characterization of thin layers by scanning microscopy, diffraction of X-ray, showed differences due to substrate changeTiO2 thin layers obtained either on glass or stainless steel showed photocatalytic and antibacterial properties on representative strains of the flora found in the meat industry: Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica and Pseudomonas fragi. Decreases in the bacterial population between 1.5Log and 3Log were observed. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied by spectrocolorimetric methods. It seems that H2O2 on the surface is converted in another ROS, ¿OH. Finally, the study of the bacterial response mechanisms to photocatalysis, especially for L. monocytogenes, was initiated by a transcriptomic approach by following the expression of genes involved in the response to oxidative stress. However, the method used requires an optimization in order to be used for the bac

Fornendo energia e nutrienti, la produzione di cibo è essenziale per la vita. Tuttavia, essa rappresenta anche una criticità ambientale. La popolazione mondiale in rapida crescita, infatti, ha bisogno di un quantitativo di cibo sempre maggiore, una delle principali cause di degrado ambientale a livello globale. Il sistema agricolo è fondato su una rete di relazioni complesse che collegano la produzione agricola, funzioni e condizioni ambientali. Una produzione agricola meno impattante è, quindi, fondamentale per non compromettere la possibilità per la future generazioni di avere accesso a un quantitativo adeguato di risorse. La metodologia LCA (life cycle assessment) ha un ruolo centrale nella valutazione di sostenibilità. Analizzando l’intero ciclo di vita di un prodotto o servizio, infatti, permette di tenere in considerazione eventuali trasferimenti di impatti tra comparti ambientali o fai della filiera. Il principale obiettivo della presente tesi è contribuire al dibattito in corso riguardo all’armonizzazione degli approcci nell’applicazione della metodologia LCA a prodotti agro-alimentari per favorirne l’affidabilità e l’efficacia. / Providing energy and nutrients, food production is essential for life. However it represents also an important environmental concern. Indeed, the rapidly growing world population is requiring an increased food production which is one of the greatest causes of environmental degradation throughout the world. The agricultural system is based on complex relations that link agricultural productivity, environmental functions and environmental conditions. Therefore, moving towards less polluting production systems is of the utmost importance to satisfy the current demand for food without compromising the possibility for future generations to have access to a proper amount of food of adequate quality. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is at the core of sustainability assessment. Indeed, considering the entire life cycle of a product or service, it allows to account for potential shifts of environmental impacts between environmental compartments or stages of the food supply chain. The overall aim of the present thesis is to contribute to the ongoing debate on the harmonisation of the approaches to carry out a LCA referred to agro-food products in order to foster its reliability and effectiveness.

Em termos globais, existe urna tendência crescente na demanda por alimentos saudáveis e seguros. Visando esta demanda, a carne de avestruz é vista corno uma opção. A indústria sul-africana é a grande abastecedora da União Européia (UE) e o Brasil tenta disputar esse mercado, que é extremamente exigente em regras que garantam a produção de um alimento seguro, o que torna de vital importância um gerenciamento da qualidade em todas as fases de produção. Este estudo analisa o sistema agroindustrial da carne de avestruz, investigando os atributos de qualidade do produto divulgados por meio eletrônico de comunicação em dois países, África do Sul e Brasil, e comparando-os às necessidades de bem-estar do consumidor. Após pesquisa bibliográfica teórica, elaborou-se pesquisa documental, na qual os dados quantitativos do setor foram obtidos em fontes governamentais de cada país e os qualitativos em reportagens divulgadas em meio eletrônico e nos sites das empresas líderes de mercado em cada país, posteriormente submetidos à técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que a produção sul africana atende às normas de gerenciamento de qualidade exigidas pelo bloco europeu, mas isso não foi suficientes para evitar reincidência de Influenza A em seu rebanho. Por outro lado, o brasileiro ainda não implementou o Plano Nacional de Controle de Resíduos (PNCR), sem o qual não consegue exportar, o que implica na obrigatoriedade de venda para o mercado interno, que possuí baixa demanda. Na comunicação adotada, ambos os países focam, principalmente, a dimensão biológica, seguido pelo bem-estar psicológico: o prazer de comer bem. / In global terms, there is a growing trend in the demand for healthy and safe food. Aiming this demand, ostrich meat is seen as an option. The South African industry is the major supplier of the European Union (EU) and Brazil tries to play this market, which has extremely demanding rules to ensure a safe food production, which makes a vital quality management in all stages of production. This study analyzes the agribusiness system of ostrich meat, investigating the quality attributes of the product disclosed by electronic means of communication in both countries, South Africa and Brazil, and comparing them to the needs of well-being of the consumer. After theoretical literature, was conducted archival research in which quantitative data were obtained from industry sources and government of each country in the qualitative reports electronically and posted on the websites of leading companies in each Country, then submitted to technique of content analysis. The results show that South African production meets quality management standards. required by the European bloc, but this was not sufficient to prevent recurrence of Influenza A in his flock. On the other hand, the Brazilian has yet to implement the National Plan for Waste Management (PNCR), without which it can not export, which implies the obligation to sell to the domestic market, which has low demand, Communication adopted in both countries focus mainly the biological dimension, followed by psychological well-being: the pleasure of eating well.