As the global food system causes environmental degradation and contributes to detrimental health effects, a transformation is vital for a sustainable and fair future for all. Research on food system transformation and the role of food initiatives have increased. Niche initiatives or “seeds” in the food sectors in Stockholm and Cape Town are finding new ways to contribute to change in the social-ecological systems in which they operate. The questions addressed in this thesis are (i) how the transformative capacity of these seeds have developed over time (ii) what amplification strategies the seeds apply to increase their impact and (iii) what the enablers and barriers to amplification processes are. A three-dimensional framework of transformative capacity and a typology of eight amplification processes are used for the analysis. Findings indicate that seeds are building momentum and developing transformative capacity within three areas: connecting to the biosphere, social cohesion, and agency. The initiatives foremost apply strategies of stabilizing, growing, scaling deep, and scaling up to amplify their transformative impact. Food seeds play an important role in building sustainable food systems and their contribution to change challenges the traditional thinking of growth in transformations and emphasize aspects of changing values, improving quality, and encouraging diversity.

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Amidst widespread feelings that capitalism is a deeply problematic yet necessary approach to economy, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as both an alternative model for farming and as an increasingly visible and viable model for alternative economy. Using qualitative methods, this doctoral research explores and documents how CSA has become a productive space for economic innovation and practice that emphasizes interdependence, camaraderie and community well-being rather than hierarchical control and private gain. This study also examines how the many participants of CSA have built an identity for CSA--branding it via autonomous and collective efforts. This has resulted in CSA being branded as an ethical and ecological farm/food system and has also resulted in CSA being celebrated as a grassroots anti-brand owned and controlled by no-one. As CSA has built its identity, it has engaged a number of narratives and myths. Many of these myths such as the ability for CSA to educate about and build enthusiasm for small scale organic farming have been solidly validated over CSA's history. Other myths, such as the idea that CSA inherently provides financial security for CSA farmers are more troubling and yet to be fully realized. Finally, this study also makes an overview of CSA offshoots, a variety of Community Supported Enterprises (CSE) that have grown out of and been inspired by CSA. These enterprises represent a new wave of opportunities and challenges to building economic alternatives based on the ethical principles expressed by CSA.

The food we consume and how it is produced constitutes a significant driver of environmental change, degrading the ecological base on which life depends. Moreover, the food system is highly globalized and geographically scattered, connected by global value chains. This creates potential vulnerabilities. The covid 19 pandemic exposed many of these vulnerabilities and disrupted daily life globally in an unprecedented manner. Some argue that a re-localization of supply chains could constitute a crucial role in crisis response and in making food systems more adaptive, resilient, and sustainable over time. The present research weaves together resilience thinking and social-ecological transformation theory to study the alternative food network REKO in Sweden during the covid 19 pandemic. Through an interpretive logic of enquiry including a practitioner’s perspective, this study explores the effects of the pandemic on REKO and what role it played in the crisis response in the Swedish food system. Results show that parts of the network could adapt to the crisis, and by constituting an alternative for consumers and producers, it played a role in the national crisis response. Further, this study indicates an accelerated interaction between REKO and actors dominating the current food regime. However, the findings also reveal weaknesses of the network exposed by the pandemic. This study goes on to question whether a shortening of supply chains is the answer to the problems imposed by a global food system and suggests a repositioning of the long-short dichotomy. Lastly, this study conclu des with reflections on the need to move away from studying crises as singular events and instead suggests that future attempts to transform food systems should consider a crisis landscape.

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The study aims to better understand which challenges and possibilities there are for increasing more sustainable and healthy food (i.e. food sovereignty) within the school food sector in different geographical places in Sweden, and how schools and other relevant actors can lead the way towards more sustainable food systems. This has been examined through a case study of the EU-funded SchoolFood4Change (SF4C) project, with a special focus on the two participating municipalities in Sweden: Umeå kommun and Malmö Stad. The method chosen is qualitative semi-structured interviews, which have been conducted with several key actors connected to the school food sector and the SF4C project. It includes procurers, project managers, food producers, and school chefs. The result showed that there are both possibilities and challenges when it comes to developing more sustainable food systems. Possibilities include, for example, a chance for new forms of collaboration between sectors, and an opportunity for everyone involved to gain more knowledge and understanding of the food we eat. Challenges on the other hand include time limitations, lack of communication, and economic problems for organic small-scale farmers. Further, there are differences between Umeå and Malmö that affect their ability to create sustainable school food systems. For example, they are located in different hardiness zones, and the structure of the project groups differs. Lastly, each actor plays a significant role in creating sustainable food systems.