Sustainable food systems are a crucial objective in the 2030 agenda as food security is under threat in large parts of the world, either currently or in the near future. Food systems connect many of the timely challenges the world faces today, touching upon various dimensions. This multidimensional character causes the search for adequate solutions to span a broad interdisciplinary field and to direct research towards new modes of knowledge, such as those carried by Indigenous peoples' traditional cultures and beliefs. Indigenous people’s food systems are considered to offer valuable insights into sustainable food practices and improve the understanding of the connection between nature and humans. In Sweden, the National Food Strategy is the guiding framework that aims for a transformation to a sustainable food system in line with the objectives of the 2030 agenda. The need for knowledge generation is recognised but refers to new and mainstream objectivist modes. Sámi Indigenous perspectives as a potential source are not recognised. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to identify potential learnings from Sámi Indigenous perspectives to strengthen the Swedish idea of a sustainable food system. To reveal learnings, a policy analysis is carried out guided by Indigenous methodology. The analysis is rooted in two core documents, namely the Sámi environmental framework (Eallinbiras) and the Swedish National Food Strategy. Commonalities and differences between Sámi perspectives and Swedish food policy are identified and discussed. Additionally, in line with Indigenous methodology, two consultations with local Sámi experts were carried out to seek guidance on the interpretations and findings of the results. Overall, it is concluded that there are various touching points where Sámi ontology could facilitate a strengthening of the food strategy and help realise the desired goals. Mainly, such involvement could steer approaches from a regulatory- to a relationship-oriented character, facilitate a deepened holistic perspective, and assign greater value to the environment, resulting in improved resilience. To realise an integration of Sámi perspectives into Swedish food strategy requires respect and the safeguarding of Indigenous rights. Certainly, many political, ontological and epistemic challenges present themselves for such an endeavour. However, some interests appear to be shared, and the potential for valuable learning is found to exist. Further research is needed to derive more concrete, practical implications and carry out participatory models to realise an integration of Sámi ontology to strengthen Swedish food policy.

Current global agricultural practices are recognized as unsustainable. The increase in overall human population as well as the global trend of rural to urban migration, partially as a result of historically and continual unsustainable agricultural practices, exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger in developing countries. Furthermore, cities and regions in developed countries practice unsustainable food production, distribution and consumption patterns, and as a result, exceed their global ecological footprint (Rees 2009). Consequently, the world is facing a global food (FAO 2009) and water crisis (UN Sick Water 2010). Cities and Regions must learn to feed themselves to address local food insecurity as well as protect from the climate effects of increased urbanization, including the Urban Heat Island effect (UHIe) by optimizing and fully integrating the local ecosystem services of food, water and forest within a tightly woven compact urban form through the implementation of strategic urban and regional food system planning. Cities can mitigate climate change and reduce the UHIe, by implementing sustainable intensive urban agriculture approaches through policy and zoning interventions that include concepts such as intensively productive urban agriculture that includes green roofs, vertical farming and greenways as continuously productive and edible urban landscapes, referred to in this paper as continuously productive urban agriculture and forestation (CPUAF) in the private and public realm. A highly participative, adaptive systems approach is explored as the key to sustainability within an economic world order that included corporate social responsibility and social enterprise as the foundation for the integration of multiple synergies. An increasing body of evidence often links urban forestation with urban greenery initiatives, as a carbon sink to reduce UHI effects, to reduce GHG emissions and as a tool for urban beautification and place making (ISDR: 2009,109). Urban agriculture, through the production of local food is increasingly recognized as a means to reduce fossil fuel emissions by reducing transportation and production outputs, to provide a secure local food source, enhance biodiversity and educate the public regarding food source while fostering a sense of community, environmental awareness and stewardship. This thesis explores the links between intensive urban agriculture and forestation, and the relationship between climate change, and the UHI’s as an adaptation and mitigation process in global cities, implemented as a interconnected, integrated, holistic urban management approach that has a further benefit of providing food security and a sustainable and local urban food source. / Dissertation (MTRP)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Town and Regional Planning / unrestricted

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Im heutigen globalisierten Ernährungssystem sind Produktion und Konsum von Lebensmitteln weitgehend entkoppelt, was negative Auswirkungen auf Landwirt*innen und Verbraucher*innen haben kann. Alternative Ernährungsnetzwerke (AFNs) haben das Potenzial, diese Verbindung wiederherzustellen. Es fehlt jedoch an Forschung zu den Wiederverbindungsprozessen in AFNs. Die übergeordnete Forschungsfrage dieser Dissertation ist daher, ob und wie AFNs Produktion und Konsum von Lebensmitteln wieder verbinden. Zur Beantwortung wurden (a) Motivationen für die AFN-Teilnahme erforscht, (b) transformative Prozesse in AFNs untersucht, (c) die relevantesten Interaktionen zwischen Konsument*innen und Produzent*innen für die wirtschaftliche Stabilität von solidarischen Landwirtschaftsbetrieben identifiziert und (d) Faktoren für das Vertrauen in solidarische Landwirtschaft ermittelt. Ein Mixed-Method-Ansatz wurde gewählt, um die Forschungsziele zu erreichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass AFNs zu sechs Arten von Wiederverbindung beitragen: 1. Wiederverbindung von Produzent*innen und Konsument*innen 2. Wiederverbindung von Konsument*innen und Konsument*innen 3. Wiederverbindung von Konsument*innen und Lebensmitteln/ deren Produktion 4. Wiederverbindung von AFNs mit anderen (ernährungsbezogenen) Initiativen 5. Wiederverbindung von AFN-Produzent*inen und -Konsument*innen mit der Ernährungswirtschaft 6. Wiederverbindung von AFN-Produzent*innen und -Konsument*innen mit der Ernährungspolitik Wiederverbindungsprozesse in AFNs fördern das Empowerment von Produzent*innen und Konsument*innen und bieten lokale Lösungen für Probleme des Ernährungssystems. Eine stärkere Vernetzung und Verbreitung von AFNs wäre positiv für einen über die AFN-Nische hinausgehenden Einfluss auf das Ernährungssystem. Als Teil einer gesellschaftlichen Bewegung können AFNs zu einem wertebasierten Ernährungssystem beitragen und im Kleinen ein Beispiel für einen nachhaltigeren Umgang mit Lebensmitteln bieten. / In today’s global food system, food production and consumption are mostly disconnected which has negative implications for producers and consumers. Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) can potentially re-establish links between production and consumption. For a comprehensive understanding of AFNs, more research is needed on how exactly they contribute to reconnection processes. The overarching research objective of this dissertation is, therefore, if and how AFNs reconnect production and consumption. To answer this research question, this dissertation (a) explores what motivates consumers to participate in AFNs, (b) investigates which drivers of transformation occur in AFNs, (c) assesses which consumer-producer-interactions are most relevant for the economic stability of community-supported agriculture farms, and (d) examines which factors determine members’ trust in community-supported agriculture and its farmers. A mixed-method approach is applied to answer these research objectives taking both a producer and consumer perspective into account. The results show that AFNs contribute to six different types of reconnection, namely: 1. Reconnection of producers and consumers 2. Reconnection of consumers and consumers 3. Reconnection of consumers and food (production) 4. Reconnection of AFN with other (food) initiatives 5. Reconnection of AFN participants with the food economy 6. Reconnection of AFN participants with food politics By providing these different types of reconnection, AFNs foster empowerment of producers and consumers and offer spaces to create local-level solutions to existing problems of the dominant food system. For a stronger impact beyond the individual AFN initiative, networking and replication are recommended. As a part of a broader societal movement, AFNs could contribute to creating a value-based food system and be small scale examples of a more sustainable way of food production and consumption.