A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Development Studies in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand, 2018 / This study analyses the effects of institutional gaps on food security in rural households in the uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study found that inadequate access to and low production of food was common in poor households. When compared to other African countries, the South African Government is seen to have established sound policies aimed at eradicating food insecurity in historically disadvantaged communities, inter alia, by reprioritising public spending. However, these policies have not been well implemented, resulting in an increase in the number of food-insecure people in the country, irrespective of food availability. In this study, participants comprised community members aged 20 years and above (n=147), nine key informants and focus groups (n=11). Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions were used to obtain data related to the institutional gaps that contributed to food insecurity. Both content and statistical analysis was used to realise the study objectives. The results of the study showed that participants had to contend with numerous challenges in sustaining their community development projects towards achieving food security and received only limited support from various institutions. In general, communities with a poor socio-economic profile are vulnerable to food insecurity because their low status denies them access to credit provision, skills and information. In the uThungulu District, agriculture was widely practised as a strategy to eradicate food insecurity: crop farming particularly, in the form of community and home gardens, was undertaken, but very few participants engaged in livestock farming. The study revealed that the issue of land access and ownership compromised rural production. Rural business people had inadequate knowledge of how to participate and compete in the market. The study’s results also showed that local municipalities’ services were often politically aligned and politicians as heads of institutions made poor, top-down decisions that did not meet the needs of poor people. Local municipalities were mostly dependent on governmental funding which was limited. Furthermore, governmental institutions themselves were faced with challenges, including inadequate staff, capacity and skills to serve communities satisfactorily. The study concluded that while South Africa as a nation was food secure, households – particularly in rural areas – were not yet free from food insecurity. Food in/security is a multi-sectoral issue that needs to be tackled by all institutions and sectors and should not be aligned with the agricultural sector only. It is recommended that the government should improve food security policies, determine methods of financing rural entrepreneurs and small-scale farmers and expand the institutions committed to rural food security programmes. It also needs to provide training in entrepreneurial skills and assist and empower poor people to adopt modern farming practices which include intensifying livestock production. Policies and strategies to alleviate food insecurity need to be analysed and improved as a matter of urgency. Further research should investigate and monitor the implementation of food security interventions in rural areas. / National Institute For the Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarship

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold utilization in small scale regasification stations is a novel topic in the industry, while such systems have been proven feasible in large scale LNG facilities. Cold recovery and utilization in LNG regasification facilities would increase the thermodynamic efficiency and reduce cold pollution. The aim of the study is to analyze the possibility to apply industry-proven thermodynamic cycles in small scale satellite regasification stations for electricity production, taking the characteristics of a real-world regasification station project in Druskininkai, Lithuania for which useful cold utilization is not currently planned. Direct Expansion (DE) and Rankine (ORC) Cycles are analyzed together with cascading using Aspen Hysys software to find the optimal solution considering thermal and exergy efficiency as well as the payback period. Thermoeconomically feasible retrofit solutions of approximately 13% thermal efficiency and approximately 17% exergy efficiency showing payback periods of 5 to 10 years and 3.3 to 6 thousand euro additional capital expenditure (CAPEX) per net kW of power production are found. Increase in complexity of thermodynamic cycles is directly proportional to both increased thermodynamic efficiencies and capital costs and the study proves that there is a limit at which increase in thermodynamic efficiency of a cycle by cascading becomes economically infeasible. Future work is suggested to improve the accuracy of the results by rigorous design to evaluate pressure drops as well as improvements in economic analysis by utilizing the discounted cash flow methodology. Sensitivity analysis of LNG physical and chemical conditions as well as ambient air could be performed whereas changes in working fluid and better engineering of the part related to intial heat exchange could improve thermodynamic efficiencies. Alternative solutions with a higher temperature heat source are also suggested.

Problem Statement: The world population is expected to rapidly increase, raising food security concerns across the world. This will impact Africa most severely. The use of innovative farming techniques and technology has proven to accelerate the production yields and improve resilience to vulnerabilities which impact agricultural productivity. The use of smart technologies in farming is mainly present among largescale commercial farms, with minimal representation in the smallholder farming sector. On the other hand, a substantial amount of food in developing countries is produced by small scale farmers. Research Objective: The purpose of the study is to investigate the usage of smart technologies by smallholder farmers in South Africa, and to establish how smart technology could support smallholder farmers in increasing productivity through a three-dimensional view that takes into consideration capital, labour, and land utilization. To this end, an interpretive research philosophy was adopted. Research Design: The study collected the data using semi-structured interviews. The sample for the study constituted of 10 smallholder farmers and 12 subject matter experts within the agriculture and technology domain. To strengthen rigour within the study, the interviews were supported by documents containing viewpoints about how technology is applied in the African context and how it may be introduced and ultimately applied in the South African context. The study employed a deductive approach to theory, applying the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as theoretical underpinning for the study. SLA consists of a pentagon of livelihood assets: physical, social, human, natural, and financial assets. The framework was extended to include technology as an asset due to its potential to contribute to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Findings: The study found minimal to no use of smart technologies by smallholder farmers in South Africa. The factors which limited the use of technology include PEST (Political, Environmental, Social and Technological) factors. To achieve successful usage of smart technologies, collaboration is required from government, the private sector, smallholder farmers, and communities. Research Contribution: The study aimed to expand on the limited literature on the use of smart farming in the context of smallholder farmers in a developing country context. In addition, it contributed to extending the pentagon of livelihoods to include smart technologies with respect to smallholder farmer livelihoods. Therefore, the findings of this study contributed to the broader body of knowledge. In addition, insights from this study may be gained by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, smallholder farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs and technologists in formulate developmental strategies and policies to improve the productivity of smallholder farmers as well as their livelihoods as a strategy to increase their contribution to food security in Africa while alleviating household poverty.

This report analyzes the challenges faced by small-scale farmers and explores potential solutions to help them adapt to new technologies while maintaining their traditional farming practices. The research delves into the daily life journey of small-scale farmers, including their agricultural practices and the rural community. The author conducted 20 days of field research in a rural area of China and discovered that many of these small farms operate on a tight budget, and farmers rarely use machines to cultivate their land. The thesis project offers a complete solution with a weather station, soil sensor, and app. The weather station is shared by the entire village and provides real-time weather data to farmers. Soil sensors, owned by farmers and placed near crops, provide real-time data on soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels. The app provides a user friendly interface for farmers to access the data collected by both the soil sensor and weather station. This project provides a vision to help farmers manage their crops better and accurately forecast their crop yield.

Through qualitative interviews and secondary research, the emotional and ecological layers to a forest have been explored. Several studies and sources of data speak against Swedish forestry being sustainable, and the industry often views the forest through anthropocentric ethics with focus on economic value. The aim is to inform and inspire small-scale private forest owners in their decision making in forestry to consider more environmentally sustainable cultivation methods. There is a gap in communication between facts on forestry and small-scale private forest owners which the project aims to fill. The project looks at the forest holistically, through biocentric ethics and the Swedish folk art Kurbits, and covers ecological and cultural sustainability. This takes the shape of a booklet which uncovers a forest’s layers in both text and visuals.

Behovet av att se över kopplingarna mellan livsmedelsförsörjningen, hållbarhet och suveränitet - vid tillhandahållandet av livsmedel - har ökat i och med en instabil och osäker omvärld. En ökad lokal och småskalig livsmedelsproduktion skulle på ett nationellt plan kunna göra livsmedelssystemet mer robust och resilient vid eventuella störningar. Denna studie avser att ge en bred bild av konsumenters attityd, engagemang, kunskap och beteende kring beredskapsfrågan, livsmedelssäkerhet samt konsumtion av lokalproducerade varor. Studien avser också undersöka Sveriges nationella ambitionsnivå för att främja utvecklingen av en hållbar, långsiktigt och konkurrenskraftig livsmedelskedja och på vilket sätt samhället bidrar eller kan bidra till att underlätta och stimulera den typen av näringsverksamhet. Resultatet visar att det råder en stark positiv attityd, medelhög kunskapsnivå, medelhögt engagemang samt starkt positivt beteende bland respondenterna. Resultatet visar även att inställningen till lokalproducerade livsmedel är positiv och att den framför allt kan härledas till känslan av samhörighet och värnandet om den lokala levande landsbygden. Gällande beredskapsfrågan så råder det bland respondenterna en tydlig koppling till småskalig och lokalproducerad livsmedelsproduktion såväl som till självförsörjning. Det föreligger dock stora hinder med småskaliga verksamheter i form av pris och tillgänglighet, både i form av utbud, öppettider och kommunikation. Det är idag mest resursstarka konsumentgrupper som köper lokalproducerat och det finns en risk för en ökande segregation i detta. Staten skulle kunna driva på för att få på plats en definition av lokalproducerade livsmedel samt arbeta med mjuka styrmedel såsom exempelvis miljömärkningar. De skulle också kunna höja taket för direkta upphandlingar inom ramen för EU-direktivet om offentlig upphandling så att kommunerna kan köpa in en större andel lokalproducerade livsmedel i sin offentliga upphandling. / The requirement to review the links between food security, sustainability, and sovereignty - in the provision of food - has increased in an uncertain and unstable environment. Increased local and small-scale food production could, on a national level, make the food system more robust and resilient in the event of disturbances and crises. This study intends to give a broad picture of consumers' attitude, commitment, knowledge and behavior regarding preparedness, food safety and consumption of locally produced food. The study also intends to examine Sweden's national ambition to promote the development of a sustainable, long-term, and competitive food chain and in what way society contributes or can contribute to facilitating and stimulating that type of business. The result shows that there is a strong positive attitude, medium level of knowledge, medium commitment and strong positive behavior among the respondents. The results also show that the attitude towards locally produced food among consumers is positive and can be mainly attributed to the feeling of belonging and the protection of the local living countryside. Regarding the issue of preparedness, there is a clear connection to small-scale and locally produced food production as well as self-sufficiency among the respondents. However, there are major obstacles regarding the price and availability, both in terms of range, opening hours and communication. It is today the most resourceful consumer groups in the society that are able to buy locally produced products and there is a risk of increasing segregation in this. The state could also push to get a definition of locally produced food in place and work with soft control instruments such as, for example, an environmental label. They could also raise the amount for direct procurement within the framework of the EU-directive on public procurement so that the municipalities can buy a greater proportion of locally produced food in their public procurement.

Anaerobic digestion is a process where biogas is generated from organic substance in the absence of oxygen. The most common application of the anaerobic digestion technology in developing countries is small-scale household digesters producing biogas for cooking purposes. These systems are usually fed with cattle dung or organic household waste. The typical small-scale digester models are fixed-dome digester, floating-drum digester and rubber-balloon digester. Biogas systems contribute to self-sustainability of energy production, improve waste management and mitigate deforestation and health problems caused by poor waste management and usage of traditional cooking fuels such as firewood and charcoal. Anaerobic digestion technology is still quite unknown in Mozambique. An initiative to implement this technology in the municipality of Quelimane located in Zambézia province in the central part of the country, was taken in 2015 and background studies were performed during spring 2015 and 2016. As a part of the study resulting in this report, performed in spring 2017, a small-scale biogas digester was installed in Quelimane city. The digester was fed with the initial input of cow manure in order to create population of anaerobic bacteria and in the future it’s planned to be fed with food waste. The purpose of the first installed digester is to serve for educational purposes and to produce cooking fuel for the few people working in the municipal location where the digester is installed. It’s estimated that the digester has a potential to produce daily 0.3 m3 of biogas from 2 kg of food waste which can be used for preparing lunch for the employees or for heating water. In the future, possible applications of anaerobic digestion technology in Quelimane are a municipal biogas plant, cooling systems for the fish industry and biogas based latrines in the less developed areas located outside of the city center.

Greenhouse cultivation is a growing industry, especially in mild climates, much due to the ability toadjust the growing conditions and increased water utilization efficiency. The most important aspect onthe cultivation is the indoor temperature. The variation in temperature is due to the Swedish climatewhere the highest and lowest outdoor temperature respectively varies greatly during the year. To enableoptimal indoor climate additional heating is required during colder periods. Presently, most of theexisting greenhouses utilizes combustion of fossil fuels for heating, which contributes to the climatechange through the emissions of greenhouse gases. One way to circumvent this impact is to exchangethe fossil fuels with biogas. Combining biogas production and greenhouse cultivation enables synergiesand a more closed cycle of material flow can be achieved. However, this combination is rather immaturedue to lacking previous research, giving this report its main purpose, to examine the synergies andsustainability of combining a greenhouse with small-scale biogas production. Initially, an extensive literature study was carried out followed by a simulation based on the obtainedknowledge. The simulation was comprised of two greenhouses with different geometries, one with theshape of an arch with polyethylene-film cladding and the other with a sawtooth roof with glass cladding,both with two layers. The other properties such as internal area and volume are more or less the samefor the simulated greenhouses. Useful data such as outdoor temperature, rainfall and solar irradiationetc. was obtained for the city of Enköping, Sweden. The calculations for the models were carried out inthe program Microsoft Excel. In order to evaluate the feasibility of these models a reference greenhousewas studied, which had similar properties and conditions. The optimal temperature for tomato cultivation is 20° C, and to maintain this level over the entire yearit was found that the heat requirements were 89 500 kWh for the arched greenhouse and 94 400 kWhfor the sawtooth greenhouse. In comparison with the reference greenhouse, the heat requirement wasaround 200 kWh per m2 and year less in the simulated greenhouses. Furthermore, it was found thataround 31 800 kWh of cooling is required over the year (249 kWh per m2 and year) for the archedgreenhouse and 30 900 kWh per year (241 kWh per m2 and year) for the sawtooth greenhouse, to keepthe indoor temperature at 20 °C. Moreover, two to three possible harvests annually gives the yield of 3456-5184 kg tomatoes per year. Both the simulated greenhouses are feasible concepts, however thesawtooth greenhouse is a better option due to its increased longevity and lower contribution ofgreenhouse gas emissions over time. Furthermore, more research needs to obtain a fully closed cycle.

About 83% of total energy consumed in Nepal comes directly from the solid fuels. The import of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) is also growing at an exponential rate. The hospitality subsector (hotels and restaurants), one of the key economic subsectors in the country, consumes most of the energy within the commercial sector primarily for cooking purposes. The bio-waste generated from growing hospitality subsector and other sectors in Kathmandu is poorly managed. Similarly, on the other hand, Nepal has an extensive knowledge and experience of manure based anaerobic household biogas systems mainly in rural areas. Based upon this situation, the thesis investigates the opportunities for anaerobic biogas production for cooking at hotels and restaurants by utilizing their own organic waste. Currently available biogas technologies, important parameters affecting the biogas yield, policy and financial supports and case studies of various stakeholders employing the biogas technologies in the hotels and restaurants in Nepal were considered. The most applicable technology for the purpose was then chosen. The organic waste sampling study from randomly selected 4-star hotel (Yatri Spa and Suites), tourist standard hotel (Hotel Bliss International) and restaurant (Fren’s Kitchen) in Thamel, the tourist zone of Kathmandu was conducted. Similarly, various data especially focusing on the current cooking energy need, demand, supply, cost, organic waste management of the hotels and the restaurant was collected through questionnaires and series of interviews. The average amount of daily organic waste and organic waste fraction for Yatri, Bliss and Fren’s was found to be 61.3 kg and 63.0%, 18.4 kg and 82.7%, and 16.3 kg and 81.8% respectively. Similarly, the variations in weekly organic wastes and waste generated per guest was also determined. Based upon the amount and characteristics of organic waste from the sampling survey, the theoretical biogas potential of the organic waste at digester output rate of 0.27 kWh/kg/day for JUAS digesters, the technology selected for the biogas conversion, was found to be 18.4 kWh/day, 5.5 kWh/day and 4.9 kWh/day equivalent to 4.9%, 3.0% and 5.4 % of the current daily energy need for Yatri, Bliss and Fren’s respectively. Similarly, the economic implications of the small-scale biogas technology if employed in the hotels and the restaurant was scoped out. It was found that the recommended Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) based 3000 l sized JUAS bio-digesters had positive Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and payback time of around 5 years on average for all the eateries under study. The monthly life cycle cost of the integrated LPG-JUAS system is found be cheaper for all eateries as compared to the current LPG system. Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE) of the JUAS digesters is calculated to be competitive as compared to energy from other renewables in the country. There is, however, need to improve the digester conditions to get higher biogas yields. For the wider adoption of the digesters across urban sectors, the subsidies amount should also be increased together with information dissemination regarding biogas uses and its potential among the stakeholders. / Omkring 83% av den totala energiförbrukningen i Nepal kommer direkt från det fasta bränslet. Importen av flytande petroleumgas (LPG) växer också i exponentiell takt. Underhållningsbranschen (hotell och restauranger), en av de viktigaste ekonomiska delområdena i landet, förbrukar mest energi inom kommersiell sektor, främst för matlagning. Det biologiska avfallet som genereras av växande underhållsbranschen och andra sektorer i Katmandu är dåligt förvaltad. På samma sätt har Nepal en omfattande kunskap och erfarenhet av gödselbaserade anaeroba hushållsbiogasystem, huvudsakligen i landsbygdsområden. Baserat på denna situation undersöker man avhandlingen möjligheterna till anaerob biogasproduktion för att laga mat på hotell och restauranger genom att använda eget organiskt avfall. För närvarande finns biogasteknik, viktiga parametrar som påverkar biogasutbytet, politiska och finansiella stöd och fallstudier av olika intressenter som använder biogasteknik i hotell och restauranger i Nepal. Den mest tillämpliga tekniken för ändamålet valdes sedan. Undersökning av organiska avfallsprov från slumpmässigt utvalt 4-stjärnigt hotell (Yatri Spa and Suites), turisthotell (Hotel Bliss International) och restaurang (Fren's Kitchen) i Thamel, utförs turistområdet Katmandu. På samma sätt samlades olika data som speciellt fokuserade på dagens energibehov, efterfrågan, tillgång, kostnad, organisk avfallshantering av hotellen och restaurangen genom enkäter och intervjuer. Den genomsnittliga mängden dagligt organiskt avfall och organiskt avfallsfraktion för Yatri, Bliss och Fren var visat sig 61,3 kg respektive 63,0%, 18,4 kg respektive 82,7% respektive 16,3 kg respektive 81,8%. På samma sätt bestämdes också variationerna i organiskt avfall per vecka och avfall som genererades per gäst. Baserat på mängden och egenskaperna hos organiskt avfall från provtagningsundersökningen befanns den teoretiska biogaspotentialen hos det organiska avfallet vid kokareutgångshastigheten på 0,27 kWh / kg / dag för JUAS-kokare, den teknik som valts för biogasomvandling, befunnits vara 18,4 kWh / dag, 5,5 kWh / dag och 4,9 kWh / dag motsvarande 4,9%, 3,0% och 5,4% av dagens energibehov för Yatri, Bliss och Fren. På samma sätt scenkades de ekonomiska konsekvenserna av den småskaliga biogastekniken om de anställdes i hotell och restaurangen. Det visade sig att de rekommenderade polyvinylkloridbaserade (PVC) -baserade JUAS-bioförstörare av polyvinylklorid med jämna mellanrum hade positivt nettoförsäkringsvärde (NPV), interna avkastningsräntor och återbetalningstid på cirka 5 år i genomsnitt för alla restauranger som studerades. Den månatliga livscykelkostnaden för det integrerade LPG-JUAS-systemet befinner sig vara billigare för alla matställen jämfört med det aktuella LPG-systemet. Nivånad kostnad för energi (LCoE) hos JUAS-kokare beräknas vara konkurrenskraftig jämfört med energi från andra förnybara energikällor i landet. Det är dock nödvändigt att förbättra kokareförhållandena för att få högre biogasutbyten. För det bredare godkännandet av kokare i städerna bör bidragsbeloppet också ökas tillsammans med informationsspridning avseende biogasanvändning och dess potential bland intressenterna.För det bredare godkännandet av kokare i städerna bör bidragsbeloppet också ökas tillsammans med informationsspridning avseende biogasanvändning och dess potential bland intressenterna.

Climate change and increased pressure on water resources through urban and peri-urban population growth present some major uncertainties to the sustainable provision of good quality water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, particularly to small-scale decentralized systems which are considered more vulnerable compared to centralized systems. The concept of “resilience” could be useful when dealing with such uncertainties. It deals with planning for shocks and stressors which could help address long-term water security and sanitation challenges. The aim of this research is to explore the relevance of the concept of resilience in dealing with uncertainties for decentralized WASH systems. Through literature review, interviews (n=22) and group discussions (n=18), the relevance of the 7 resilience principles, developed by SRC, to WASH planning for decentralized systems was explored. WHO community water and sanitation planning guidelines were reviewed to determine how resilience could add useful aspects to management of decentralised WASH systems.  Results showed that the resilience concept is important in planning and management of decentralized WASH systems, since, with the resilience principles as a basis, there is potential to involve different stakeholders to share knowledge, skills and resources across multiple scales. The three resilience principles considered most important from the 7 SRC resilience principles for decentralized WASH were identified as: 1) Broadening participation, 2) Maintenance of diversity and redundancy, and 3) Management of slow changing variables and feedbacks. Other important WASH aspects missing from the resilience principles were: 1) Contextuality, 2) Accountability, 3) Equity and human rights, 4) Monitoring and maintenance, 5) Resource capacity. Two case studies served as examples of how decentralized WASH systems are managed in a high-income country (Värmdö, Sweden) and  a low/middle income country (MSETO, Kenya). In both cases, applied resilience principles were identified together with areas of improvement. With reference to resilience, Värmdö municipality showed strength in the flow of information (connectivity) between actors but lacked integrated WASH planning guidelines and diversity of water supplies. The MSETO project exhibited strength in overlapping responsibilities (polycentric governance) but lacked management of slow changing variables and feedbacks, linked to the lack of adequate re-sources. The analysis of WHO Water Safety Plans and sanitation safety planning guidelines through the resilience framework revealed that the WHO guidelines have a heavy focus on technical aspects and lack an integrated approach involving polycentric governance and complex adaptive system thinking. There is need for the revision of the guide-lines to incorporate community social aspects, strategies of improving water availability and consideration of complex adaptive systems thinking. Municipalities and practitioners are recommended to consider resilience principles as well as the identified missing aspects in WASH planning and interventions. Further research is needed investigating necessary conditions for the application of resilience principles and important trade-offs.