The Swedish dairy industry has undergone several restructurings over the past year adapting to a new agricultural policy of neoliberal markets. This has resulted in the decline in the number of smaller farms because of major competition with countries producing milk at a cheaper price. The purpose of this study is based on Marxist-inspired theory of value to examine how neoliberalism affects dairy farmer’s spatial production patterns in Kalmar County. The methodology consists of five semi-structured interviews with dairy farmers in Kalmar County. The results show that the supply chain does not end with the production and distribution of milk, but symbols must be added to sell the milk and it is almost essential for farmers who are forced to go that way to survive. Neoliberalism has changed farmer’s spatial production patterns in different ways. The conventional farmers have had poor profitability after quotas have been removed and are trying to convert to organic milk production or sell locally to increase profitability. Some of the farmers are limited by topography and geographical location because they do not have enough pasture and arable land to convert to organic farming or expand their operations. In order to survive the conventional famers have scaled up their production because they are trapped in the milks labor, use and exchange value. The organic dairy farmers have better profitability after neoliberalism because their earnings come from the milks symbolic value. One conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that dairy farmers have felt compelled to convert to organic production or supply to local dairies because they can take a higher price for milk by adding value through symbols. Overall the study shows that the control of the production has been transferred from farmers to consumers, and this includes EU policy and even private regulations and neoliberalism that function as structures that control farmers in this direction.

Bakgrund: Aktivitetsbalans är en självupplevd känsla av att ha balans mellan fritid, arbete och vila. Att ha aktivitetsbalans är viktig för att en person ska kunna ha en god hälsa och livskvalitet vilket kan vara svårt för mjölkbönderna som både bor och arbetar på sina gårdar. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att studera svenska mjölkbönders upplevelse av aktivitetsbalans och livskvalitet och om ett samband fanns mellan dessa. Metod: En elektronisk enkätstudie genomfördes med både kvantitativ och kvalitativ del. Enkäten var utformad med demografiska frågor; frågor utifrån de två bedömningsinstrumenten, Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ) och Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life (BBQ) samt ytterligare tre  frågor baserade på att arbeta som mjölkbonde. Analysen gjordes genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och en kvantitativ bearbetning. Deltagandet bestod av 331 mjölkbönder. Resultat: Mjölkbönderna upplevde en låg aktivitetsbalans och livskvalitet. Resultatet visade att det överlag fanns ett samband mellan den skattade aktivitetsbalansen och livskvaliteten. Mjölkbönderna uppgav att det var nöjda med sitt arbete men att de långa arbetsdagarna påverkade fritiden negativt vilket även påverkade deras livskvalitet. Även den ekonomiska situationen gav konsekvenser för mjölkböndernas livskvalitet. Slutsats: Mjölkbönderna har en låg aktivitetsbalans som påverkade deras livskvalitet. Det är viktigt att vården får mer kunskap om mjölkböndernas situation för att erbjuda dem rätt vård och rehabilitering. / Background: Occupational balance is a self-perceived feeling of having a balance between leisure, work and rest. Having an occupational balance is important for a person to be able to have good health and quality of life, which can be difficult for dairy farmers who both live and work on their farms. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate Swedish dairy farmers' experience of occupational balance and quality of life. Method: A quantitative and qualitative electronic survey was conducted. The questionnaire was designed according to two assessment instruments, the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ) and the Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life (BBQ), as well as three more questions based on working as a dairy farmer and demographic questions. The analysis was done through a qualitative content analysis and a quantitative process. The participation consisted of 331 dairy farmers. Results: Dairy farmers experienced a low occupational balance and quality of life. The results showed that overall there was a correlation between the estimated occupational balance and the quality of life. The dairy farmers stated that they were satisfied with their work but that the long working days went beyond their free time, which could affect their quality of life. The economic situation also had consequences for the dairy farmers' quality of life. Conclusion: The dairy farmers have a low occupational balance that affects their quality of life. It is important that healthcare receives more knowledge about the dairy farmers' situation in order to offer them the right care and rehabilitation.