The objective of the thesis is to explore if the European Union membership has changed the Swedish Green Party’s use of parlance, ideology and political content. To explore this, a quantitative content analysis has been done on election manifestos during a 30-year period on national parliamentary manifestos as well as European Parliament manifestos. A framework of green ideology as well as previous research of the Swedish Green’s is used to further the findings from the manifestos. The thesis has found that the European Union membership has affected the Swedish Greens which is seen in the change of how they use language, their transformation of ideas throughout the years as well as their views on political areas and how that has expanded. Further research is recommended to additionally explore the subject, a suggestion is to increase the material because that was an issue in this essay.

This report covers a project on a partially automated aeroponic and fungi growing system. The purpose is to evaluate if an enclosed space system can be automated to produce healthy crops of greens and fungi, and investigate how well the system can switch between these two growth modes. Factors that will be automated include regulation of temperature, humidity, air ventilation, and light exposure time. The research will be focused on Romaine lettuce and Golden Oyster mushroom. The methods used include research, hardware setup, software programming, chassis construction, and experiments. Relevant factors for the growing environment, such as lighting, temperature, and nutrient solutions were studied. The hardware components used in the project can shortly be described as follows. A real time clock ensure accurate timing for the microcontroller that regulates the indoor climate based on sensor readings. LEDs light up the chamber and a humidifier provide the roots access to a nutrient solution. A fan provides cooling, and filters block out unwanted microorganisms and fungi spores from the ventilation air. A display provides the user with relevant information. The system code written in C++ contain six main functions and two support functions. Depending on the growth mode, climate control functions are selected. The system has control variables allowing the administrator to set threshold levels for humidity and nutrient spray periods. The outer case of the chassis was made out of painted acrylic to block out light and retain moisture. The water-nutrient solution basin was designed to avoid leakage, net cups hold the plants in a raised bed, a base plate acts as flooring for the mushrooms, as well as a placement enforcer for the humidifier. An inner roof separates the moist growth chamber from the electronics compartment above. Two experiments were conducted in separate prototypes simultaneously for green sand mushrooms. For the mushroom experiment, a grow kit was installed after thorough cleaning. The fruiting process was monitored and photographed daily. Results showed successful mushroom growth and healthy fruiting bodies. For the greens experiment, a nutrient solution was mixed and lettuce seeds were placed in rock wool cylinders that were installed in net cups. Photographs were taken every three days to track the progress. The lettuce seeds germinated and started growing. Control variables were altered multiple times to maximize performance but optimal settings were not found. The plants died whilst unsupervised. The experiments were partially successful and demonstrated potential for growing both greens and mushrooms. The prototype was effective in maintaining set temperature and humidity levels. The parameters necessary for successful growth was effectively automated and the system has great potential for further improvements and automation. / Målet med projektet är att studera hur väl det går att odla både svamp och fotosyntetiserande växter i samma slutna, delvis automatiserande aeroponiskasystem. I projektet undersöks om det går att byta mellan de två odlingssätten och hur automatiserad processen kan vara. Produkten är tänkt att fylla utrymmet som hittats på marknaden för enkla odlingssystem hemma för i synnerhet svamp. Faktorer att ta hänsyn till är temperatur, luftfuktighet och ljusexponeringstid. Andra faktorer som pH värde eller byte av vattnet utesluts till följd av tid- och resursbegränsningar. Metoden är indelad i forskning, hårdvara, mjukvara, chassi och experiment. Forskningen täcker nödvändig information om faktorer relaterade till odling av både svamp och gröna växter i aeroponiska system. Exempelvis hur mycket ljus, vatten och näring som behövs. Kapitlet om hårdvara tar upp vilka komponenter som används och varför. I centrum är en microkontroller, en Arduino micro, som med hjälp av en realtidskolocka styr när belysningen ska lysa, när luftfuktaren ska vara på samt när fläktarna ska gå. En DHT11 sensor skickar information till Arduinon att agera utifrån. I mjukvara ingår hur koden är uppbyggd för att styra microkontrollern och hur användaren kan anpassa värden till sitt tycke. För att hjälpa användaren visas relevant data på en skärm. Produkten är uppbyggd med ett mörklagt och tätande skal av akrylplast. Vatten med eventuell näring för växtläget är samlat i en tät balja längst ner i lådan där luftfuktaren även är placerad. Över baljan vilar antingen ett svampodlingskit på en perforerad yta eller en hållare för odling av växter i nätkorgar med stenull. I taket är en 20W LED fäst på en kylfläns för kylning tillsamman med en närliggande fläkt. Allra högst upp är elektroniken, skyddad från fukten nere i lådan av ett lager akrylplast.Två experiment hölls parallellt med varandra i två likadana odlingskammare för att hinna utvärdera både svamp och fotosyntetiserande växter. Citronmussling valdes som svamp och Romansallad som växt. Experimenten dokumenterades regelbundet med fotografier och kommentarer om det som observerats. Experimenten var till stor del lyckade även om vissa parametrar behövde justeras under förloppet. Det aeroponiska systemet producerar svamp och växter av god kvalitet. Slutsatsen som kan dras är att det går att odla både svamp och växter i samma produkt. De parametrar som inkluderats inom projektets avgränsningar gick att automatisera. Det finns även goda möjligheter att förbättra automatiseringsnivån.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Agricultural Economics )) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Regardless of the strategies adopted globally and nationwide to fight food insecurity within communities, particularly in the rural context, poverty becomes a major constituent which translates to most rural households experiencing food insecurity shocks. Given the high unemployment rate in South Africa which triggers several household’s vulnerability to food insecurity, the country has diverse natural resources which include indigenous plants such as Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs), which can be used as food and for business purposes by its residents. Irrespective of the diversity of ILVs in South Africa, there is a significant decline in the production and consumption of ILVs particularly in rural areas where these vegetables are mostly available. In addition, production and consumption of ILVs may not only address food insecurity but these vegetables may benefit households through the income obtained from their sales. The income generated from sales of ILVs may therefore assist towards improving and sustaining rural livelihood needs. Given this background information, the study aimed at assessing ILV production for income generation and food security among rural households in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa. The study was conducted within the three district municipalities of the ECP which were selected because statistics report these districts to be the most affected areas by poverty within the province. These districts are OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM), Alfred Nzo District Municipality (ANDM) and Joe Gqabi District Municipality (JGDM). Multistage and proportional random sampling procedures were employed to select households which could participate in the study. Thus, 407 households within these three (3) districts municipalities were used for the purposes of the study. The study also included interviewing role players within the ILV production value chain, thus a snowball sampling procedure was used to select role players. Sixteen hawkers and three input suppliers were interviewed from the three district municipalities. In addition, from the 407 households that were interviewed, 260 households from the three district municipalities reported to be producers of ILVs. A structured questionnaire was therefore used to collect pertaining data allied in achieving the aim of the study. The collected data was captured using Excel 2016, after data cleaning, it was then exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 for analysis. Numerous analytical models were used from SPSS 25. For instance, to identify and describe socio-economic characteristics of households, to assess the most produced ILVs from the study areas and to identify role players within the ILV production value chain, descriptive statistics in a form of means, percentages, frequencies, and standard deviation was used. To determine factors which influence production of ILVs, a Binary Logistic Regression Model was used. A Multinomial Logistic Regression model was used to determine factors which influence different uses of ILVs by households and to determine factors influencing food security status among households. A gross margin analysis was used to estimate viability from each ILV produced, harvested and sold, while Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure food security status among households. Lastly, a correlation matrix was also used to determine the relationship between the role players and their functions among the ILV production value chain. Based on the results, the study therefore concluded that, from the three district municipalities used in the study, there are various ILVs growing naturally and produced. The production of ILVs from these municipalities is habituated by socio economic characteristics of households, wherein households use ILVs for various purposes which include these vegetables as source of food, medicine and livestock feed. The use of ILVs among households is influenced by socio-economic characteristics and seasonal availability of ILVs in ORTDM, while in ANDM and JGDM, the use of ILVs by households is conditioned by socio-economic characteristics of households, knowledge/ awareness related to nutrition and health benefits of ILVs and seasonal production of ILVs. Furthermore, this research concludes that, ILVs have a potential of diversifying diets and addressing food insecurity problems within rural parts of the three districts. Given the positive gross margins from the three districts, production and selling of ILVs has a potential to contribute to rural household income. Lastly, the study concludes that, the ILV production value chain system lacks governmental support in the form of institutional engagement since there is no evidence of extension officer support from these three district municipalities concerning ILVs production. To this end, the study recommends that, policy makers should further establish inclusion of ILVs in both farming and food systems. Also, government and related institutions which focus on sustainable rural development must intervene in promoting production of ILVs particularly within rural contexts since production of these vegetables may alleviate poverty through job creation, addressing food insecurity and income generation. Thus, a successful intervention of government and policy makers in ILV production would have a potential of translating to sustainable rural livelihoods / National Research Foundation (NRF)

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The concept of the work-first principle (arbetslinjen) might be considered old, but still serves as the main principle as well as an instrument in the Swedish labour market and social policy today. The original idea was that work and willingness to work was to be rewarded, especially due to a common opposition against the passive receipt of grants. The general definition of work, today, is that it is something desirable that should be achieved and that unemployed primarily will be offered training or work rather than grants and subsidies. When the Moderate party re-launched themselves as Sweden's "workers' party of today", in the beginning of the 2000's, the concept was brought back into the spotlight. In the elections of 2006 and 2010, the labour market was widely debated and become a controversial issue, with the concept of the work-first principle playing a major role. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and problematize how the concept was presented and explained in the nationwide newspapers Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet during the 2010 elections, this in order to increase the understanding of the concept’s contemporary definition and policy implications. This was done by analysing news articles, including articles from the debate and cultural sections, as well as editorials in afore mentioned newspapers, through a discourse analytical approach using the conceptual and analytical tools from both the discourse theory and the critical discourse analysis. The result of this thesis shows that the discourse is not primarily a matter of the work-first principle’s existence or nonexistence but rather how it should be defined and what to include. Other main result was that the common definition of the work-first principle and its content, during the election of 2010 (1 January - 19 September), was closely connected to the policy of the, ruling Alliance Government.

Wild mustard (Brassica spp.) is used as an edible wild leafy vegetable by indigenous people in South Africa. The potential of wild leafy vegetables in agriculture is not well understood, because there is generally no agronomic research on their production practices. The objective of this study was to examine the performance of three wild mustard species (herein referred to as I, K and M) over four cropping seasons in an intercropping system with green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Imbali). The crops were grown with and without organic fertiliser under dryland conditions at two sites (The University of KwaZulu-Natal Research Farm, Ukulinga and in a rural area of Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal within the farmers' locality) during autumn, winter, spring and summer of 2004 to 2005. Plant development (leaf number, plant height and fresh biomass) during the first six weeks after sowing and seed yield were used to determine agronomic performance of each species. Nutrient status of the rhizosphere soil was determined at 42 days after sowing for each species to determine what effect growing the species would have on mineral availability. Wild mustard production significantly (P < 0.01) performed better at Ukulinga than Umbumbulu. Polyculture was beneficial for wild mustard leaf accumulation and green bean production as determined by land equivalent ratios greater than one for all species combinations, regardless of fertiliser application. Cool environmental conditions occurring in autumn and spring were more favourable (P < 0.05) for wild mustard and green bean biomass accumulation than summer and winter conditions. However, wild mustard seed yield was highest in winter compared with autumn and spring, and there was no measurable seed production in summer. Soil analysis results at 42 days after sowing showed an increase in P, K, Cu and Mg in the rhizosphere of wild mustard without organic fertiliser. Polyculture improved Zn, Cu, Mn and K in wild mustard leaf tissue. It is concluded that wild mustard can be grown as a leafy vegetable throughout the year, but it requires cool environmental conditions to enhance seed yield. Species M significantly yielded better biomass and seeds than species I and K during all the seasons. However, species K performed the least in all aspects. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

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A high rate of micronutrient deficiencies persists in Africa with the most vulnerable groups being women and children. The Moringa oleifera tree has been identified to help alleviate malnutrition at household level because of its rich content of vitamin A in its plant form - beta-carotene, iron and vitamin C. The objectives of this study was to identify households that consumed Moringa, to identify households that required diet diversification through the use of a Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and to determine the acceptability of various dishes prepared from Moringa leaves as a possible contribution to the alleviation of malnutrition in resource poor communities. The dietary diversity score of the traditional Bapedi community is 4.7 and the results of the acceptability test of dishes prepared with Moringa indicated that Moringa could be recommended as an additional food ingredient to add micronutrient to the diet of Bapedi communities. / Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M.A. (Human Ecology)

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