Abstract: An unsustainable food system in Sweden, marked by power imbalances, limited opportunities for smaller producers, and a lack of collaboration, demands solutions. Many workers in the food system operate as smaller producers, while the retail sector is highly concentrated, dominated by a few major retailers. Due to their significant market share, these retailers have the potential to drive production improvements, sustainability, and innovation by actively supporting smaller producers. However, if these issues remain unaddressed, the entire food system risks becoming increasingly vulnerable to future disruptions. This thesis aims to explain the dynamics within the Swedish food value chain, focusing on the collaboration between established retailers and smaller producers. It seeks to understand how this collaboration can be improved by both parties to foster a more sustainable food system. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews employing a dual-perspective approach from both producers and retailers, it sought an understanding of both actors’ perspectives regarding their current experiences and perceptions. Both producers and retailers acknowledge the need for collaboration, but challenges persist, particularly expressed by the producers. The main theory used, The Ladder of Partnership, highlights the necessity for trust, mutual understanding, and investment in collaboration. While some companies are making efforts, more is required for a sustainable food system. Given the retailer’s market influence, they should lead by creating opportunities for smaller producers, making strategic decisions about market inclusion, and excluding less sustainable options. The thesis advocates for accountability and shared responsibility among all actors in the food system to achieve a sustainable future. The study concludes that the Swedish food value chain relies on collaboration among various actors, and without it, the system's functionality would be compromised. / Summary: Walking into a vibrant supermarket opens up a world of diverse choices, showcasing both local and global products and turning grocery shopping into a journey through the interconnected global food system. Each item on the shelf tells a story of its own, a journey from farm to fork. Just as each product on the shelf tells a story, so too does our collective effort to foster a more sustainable future. From supporting smaller producers to advocating for environmental sustainability, every decision we make has an impact, leading to the outcome dependent on our action.  This thesis aims to explain the dynamics within the Swedish food value chain, focusing on the collaboration between established retailers and smaller producers. It seeks to understand how this collaboration could be improved by both retailers and producers regarding the essential support required for fostering a more sustainable food system. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, this study was focusing on the relationships between producers and retailers, and it sought an understanding of both actors’ perspectives regarding their current experiences and perceptions.  In Sweden, a select few major players are dominating a significant portion of the market share. An unsustainable food system in Sweden, marked by power imbalances, limited opportunities for smaller producers and a lack of collaboration, demands solutions. The entire food system risks becoming increasingly vulnerable to future disruptions if these issues remain unaddressed. The findings reveal a complex network of interconnected factors and actors. Companies operate not only as one actor, but very often as several (e.g. producers, distributor, consumers) influencing the functioning of the entire chain. In essence, the collaboration between retailers and smaller producers in the Swedish food system presents a dynamic interplay of challenges and opportunities. While both parties acknowledge the importance of working together, there are still challenges to overcome, especially from the producers' perspective of working together with retailers.   The main theory used, The Ladder of Partnership, highlights the necessity for trust, mutual understanding, and investment in collaboration. While some companies are making efforts, more is required for a sustainable food system. Given the retailer’s market influence, they should lead by creating opportunities for smaller producers, making strategic decisions about market inclusion, and excluding less sustainable options. The thesis advocates for accountability and shared responsibility among all actors in the food system to achieve a sustainable future. The study concludes that the Swedish food value chain relies on collaboration among various actors, and without it, the system's functionality would be compromised.

The dissertation describes a novel method for plant drug discovery based on mutation and selection of plant cells. Despite the industry focus on chemical synthesis, plants remain a source of potent and complex bioactive metabolites. Many of these have evolved as defensive compounds targeted on key proteins in the CNS of herbivorous insects, for example the insect dopamine transporter (DAT). Because of homology with the human DAT protein some of these metabolites have high abuse potential, but others may be valuable in treating drug dependence. This dissertation redirects the evolution of a native Lobelia species toward metabolites with greater activity at this therapeutic target, i.e. the human DAT. This was achieved by expressing the human DAT protein in transgenic plant cells and selecting gain-of-function mutants for survival on medium containing a neurotoxin that is accumulated by the human DAT. This created a sub-population of mutants with increased DAT inhibitory activity. Some of the active metabolites in these mutants are novel (i.e. not detectable in wild-type cells). Others are cytoprotective, and also protect DAergic neurons against the neurotoxin. This provides proof-of-concept for a novel plant drug discovery platform, which is applicable to many different therapeutic target proteins and plant species.

This thesis presents the business case for installing green roofs on movie theaters and shopping centers. These businesses can then derive increased profits from the environmental benefits of reduced energy use and increased stormwater retention. After presenting the basic design and benefits of a green roof, the thesis develops stand-alone business plans for a movie theater and shopping center. The author finds that green roofs are a profitable sustainability solution for the commercial enterprise.

This thesis enters the context of smallholder agriculture communities in the developing world. It explores the potentials of biochar and what biochar systems could bring to the smallholder communities while simultaneously bringing environmental benefits. It then acknowledges the challenges of diffusion –the spreading of an unfamiliar innovation. It seeks to answer the question of what will make diffusion of biochar systems more successful in the smallholder context, fixating on the characteristic of compatibility as well as the role local community members can play in making a new biochar system more visible to the rest of the communities.

This thesis examines the transformative potential of grassroots movements for sustainability and thus asks how citizen-led initiatives can contribute the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. In focus is the permaculture movement and its efforts to promote small-scale farming in balance with ecological systems and principles. The study draws upon an ethnographic study of the permaculture farm Kosters Trädgårdar, located on the west coast of Sweden. Through extended participant observation and four interviews with owners and workers at Kosters Trädgårdar, this thesis seeks to identify the transformative visions, practices and agents mobilized by the permaculture movement. Although permaculture has a strong ecological heritage and is closely tied to small-scale farming practices, this study identifies a shift in the meaning of the term as explained hereafter. The experiences of Kosters Trädgårdar indicate that the cultivation of social community and alternative livelihoods is an equally important aspect of the permaculture movement that holds significant transformative potential. By inviting multiple actors to participate in and learn from the farming practices, and to enjoy and socialize around ecological food, Kosters Trädgårdar is effectively building local community and spreading its visions of sustainable food production beyond the circuits of the farm. Although we should not over-estimate the upscaling potential of local experiences, this permaculture farm emerges as a site of grassroot innovation, experimentation and learning and may hereby function as a testbed for the grand transformative visions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Abstract In this essay, it is investigated whether West Harbour, in Malmö, has the greenery to fulfill the goals and visions needed to be able to be said to be an ecological district today. An increasing proportion of people have moved to the city, which means major ecological challenges for the city and the ecology in general. Ecological urban planning can be a tool to curb these problems. In previous research from the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning and an essay from previous students they have looked further at what it is like to plan urban from an ecological concept in different cities. In this essay the theory from Mostafavi och Doherty (2016) which talks about planning ecologically. Diedrich (2013) writes about using tools to analyze the “site”. During the interviews, the five informants shared their knowledge of the ecological development theme at “Västra hamnen” and gave a closer insight into the property in front of the building itself and its surroundings. The four themes were compiled in this essay which concerns the need for parks, ecological development, green areas and green oases and climate change - elevated sea levels.   In need of parks, it emerged that there was a shortage of parks in the Western Harbor. In ecological development, the city of Malmö wants to test a new environment at Dockan's harbor basin, the concept of park islands. Green spaces and green oases are, there are results about open spaces on the property Fören 3 - Turning Torso as it can open discussions to expand green in the physical space offered. Climate change - elevated sea levels that can challenge the future of housing and security.  The assignment is about the accommodation’s future safety and current elevated sea level.     The interviews and field observations gave a closer insight into what it is to visit, see, hear, feel, smell, and based on the ecological conditions, the Western Harbor is experienced with its own senses. It also gave me abstract thoughts on what it would be like to shape a place and in the physical space. From a blank sheet of paper to filling it with colors, to shape an attractive concept and design for the benefit of the public. Finally, a solution proposal will be presented in the concept of “Parc in the Water” on the West Harbour.   Keywords: ecology, field observation, greenery, park, park islands, site / <p>Presentationen ägde rum på zoom meeting. </p><p>Samtliga publikationer närvarade på presentationen med en Powerpoint. </p>

Soil carbon is the largest sink and source of the global carbon cycle and is disturbed by several natural, anthropogenic, and environmental factors. The global increase of atmospheric CO2 affects soil carbon cycling through varied biogeochemical processes. The first chapter is a compilation of current information on potential factors triggering soil acidification and weathering mechanisms under elevated CO2 and their consequences on soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pool and quality. Soil water content and precipitation were critical factors influencing elevated CO2 effects on the SIC pool. The second chapter examines a detailed column experiment in which six soils from the state of Mississippi, USA, representing acidic, neutral, and alkaline pH, were exposed to different CO2 enrichments (100%, 10%, and 1%) for 30 days. The leachates’ pH tended to attain an equilibrium state (neutral) with time under CO2 saturation. SIC increased under CO2 saturation, whereas cation exchange capacity (CEC) showed a decreasing pattern in all soils. In the third chapter, an eXplainable artificial intelligence (XAI) was performed to visualize the different forms of soil carbon variability across the Mississippi River Basin area. This model explains key insights and local discrepancies, suggesting a solution to the “Black-Box” issue. The best performing model, stack ensemble, showed improved RMSE (3 to 8%) and spatial variability for soil carbons than other ML models, especially after adding the residuals from regression analyses. Land cover type > soil pH > total nitrogen, > NDVI were identified as the top four crucial factors for predicting SOC when bulk density > precipitation, soil pH > mean annual temperature described SIC. The proposed automatic machine learning (AutoML) model with model agnostic interpolations might be a hallmark to mitigate the C loss under adverse climate change conditions and allow diverse knowledge groups to adopt a new interpretable ML algorithm more confidently. Findings from this study help predict the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil pH, acidification, and nutrient availability and develop strategies for sustainable land management practices under a changing climate.

Arable plant species diversity has been on a decline, with many species dependent on arable land becoming threatened. At the same time, attempts at defining the drivers of arable plant diversity have proven difficult and results are often contradictory. Much of the available data come from surveys that are small-scale and with great variability in methodology, leading to difficulties comparing them. In this study, I have used survey data from Gotland to examine how arable plant diversity is influenced by management, field size, soil texture and standing crop. I found a negative trend of diversity with increasing field size, and a suggested effect of management and soil texture on the presence of red listed arable plants. This study also evaluates the use of small datasets when examining plant diversity, and the limitations associated with it. It shows that while a small dataset cannot be analysed to the extent a more comprehensive one can, it is possible to identify trends and patterns with it, which may inform further studies.

Instrumental disparities and soil moisture are two of the key limitations in implementing spectroscopic techniques in the field. This study sought to address these challenges through two objectives. The first objective was to assess Visible-near infrared (VisNIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic approaches and explore the feasibility of transferring calibration models between laboratory and portable spectrometers. The second objective addressed the challenge of soil moisture and its impact on spectra. The portable spectrometers demonstrated comparable performance to their laboratory-based counterparts in both regions. Spiking with extra-weight, was the most effective calibration transfer method eliminating disparities between instruments. The samples were rewetted under nine controlled conditions for the moisture study. Results showed that spiking with extra weights significantly outperformed other techniques and model enhancement was insensitive to the moisture contents. Findings of this study will be helpful for development and deployment of in situ sensors to enable field implementation of spectroscopy.

Södra Gotland (Storsudret) är ett av de mest utsatta områdena i Sverige när det kommer till torka under somrarna. Trots stora mängder nederbörd har jordbrukare problem med bevattning då öns geologi påverkar lagringen av vatten i form av grundvatten negativt. Vilket beror på att berggrunden består främst av kalk, märgel och märgelsten. Dålig tillgång till vatten kombinerat med långa och varma somrar har medfört att skörden minskat markant under de senaste åren. Bevattningstekniker som används i dagsläget är inte bra på att utnyttja vatten på ett hållbart och effektivt sätt. Dessutom har kostnaderna ökat för många jordbrukare på Gotland med avseende på de ökande elpriserna. Bevattning kräver el och vissa bönder har exempelvis inte tillgång till el vid sina åkrar och måste därmed dra el vilket ökar kostnaderna markant. Behovet av mer resurseffektiva och hållbara bevattningstekniker är stort och något som behöver undersökas mer djupgående.  Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka ifall ett automatiserat bevattningssystem som drivs av solenergi faktiskt är möjligt att implementera. Detta utifrån olika kriterier såsom kostnad, energianvändning, skördemängd, klimatpåverkan och vattenanvändning. Därefter jämföra mot ett mer konventionellt system som används i dagsläget och därmed undersöka vilka skillnader det finns. Det var två system som valdes i studien. System 1 var ett potentiellt automatiserad rampbevattningssystem och system 2 ett konventionellt rampbevattningssystem. Båda systemen sattes in i verklighetsbaserade scenario (en åker i södra Gotland) för att få en mer realistisk överblick. Därefter användes en multikriterieanalys för att jämföra båda systemen mot varandra utifrån valda kriterier. Sist av allt användes en SWOT-analys för att sammanknyta all resultat som togs fram i studien.  Resultatet visade att det är i teorin möjligt att bygga ett helt automatiserat bevattningssystem som drivs av solenergi och att det finns både positiva och negativa delar med systemet jämfört mot en konventionell rambevattning. Det potentiella systemet har exempelvis både en högre kostnad som 1,1 gånger högre, samt en högre energianvändning per hektar, cirka 5 gånger högre jämfört med ett konventionellt system. Dock presterade det potentiella systemet bättre jämfört mot ett konventionellt system med avseende på klimatpåverkan som var 10 gånger lägre jämfört med ett konventionellt system. SWOT sammanställningen visade också att intresset för automatiserade bevattningssystem är låg bland jordbrukare delvis på grund av att systemen inte är anpassade till svenska förhållanden, samt den höga investeringskostnaden. Därav krävs det att fler aktörer blir involveras och kunskapen sprids för att öka etableringen av automatiserade bevattningssystem på södra Gotland (Storsudret) samt resten av Sverige. / The southern part of Gotland (Storsudret) is one of the most exposed areas in Sweden when it comes to drought during the summers. Despite large amounts of rainfall, farmers have problems with irrigation as the island’s geology negatively affects the storage of water in the form of groundwater. Poor access to water combined with long and hot summers has meant that the harvest has decreased significantly in recent years. Irrigation techniques used today are not good at using water sustainably and efficiently. In addition, costs have increased for many farmers in Gotland concerning the increasing electricity prices. Irrigation requires electricity and some farmers, for example, do not have access to electricity in their fields and thus have to get electricity, which increases costs significantly. The need for more resource-efficient and sustainable irrigation techniques is great and something that needs to be investigated in more depth.  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an automated irrigation system powered by solar energy is realistically possible to implement. This was based on various criteria such as cost, energy requirements, yield, etc., and then compare against a more conventional system that is currently used and thus examines what differences there are. Two systems were chosen in the study. System one was a potentially automated irrigation system and system two was a conventional ramp irrigation system. Both systems were put into a reality-based scenarios (a field in southern Gotland) to get a more realistic overview. Multi-criteria analysis was then used to compare both systems against each other based on selected criterias. Afterward, a SWOT analysis was also carried out to summarize all the results that were produced in the study.  The result showed that it is theoretically possible to build a fully automated irrigation system powered by solar energy and that there are both positive and negative parts to the system com- pared to conventional ramp irrigation. The potential system has, for example, both a higher cost which was 1.1 times higher, and a higher energy requirement per hectare which was 5 times higher compared to a conventional system. However, the potential system performed better compared to a conventional system concerning climate impact which was 10 times lower compared to a conven- tional system. The SWOT summarize also showed that interest in automated irrigation systems was low among farmers partly due to the systems not being adapted to Swedish conditions and the large investment cost. Thus it is necessary that more actors be involved and the knowledge spread to increase the establishment of automated irrigation systems in southern Gotland (Storsudret) and in the rest of Sweden.