Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Our food system is facing several severe challenges. Climate change and population growth are just a few of the issues putting immense pressure on the agricultural food system. Yet, agriculture is a major contributor to environmental degradation. To ensure global food security, agriculture must not only produce sufficient food but do so sustainably, within the planetary boundaries. The concept of food system resilience is increasingly used to understand how the food system can become productive, and adaptive while mitigating the different threats. Diversification has been used as a risk minimizer throughout history and is emphasized in a range of global and national environmental goals. Increasing the genetic diversity in agriculture by cultivating local varieties and safeguarding the embedded traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), can be seen as a part of the solution. Still, genetic erosion and erosion of traditions are happening at an ever-faster rate. In Sweden, knowledge about these varieties and how they can improve food system resilience is still lacking amongst the general public. Hence this thesis focuses on how knowledge about and interest in local varieties can be fostered so that they can become a natural part of the food system. Furthermore, these varieties can be seen as a way to create an even greater connection to nature and foster care for the environment. Therefore, this thesis focuses on examining what potential tools can be used.

A case study of a Swedish agrarian museum, Katrinetorp Landeri, was made to gain an understanding of how these questions can be addressed on a local level. It was carried out through semi-structured interviews and observations at Katrinetorp and by drawing lessons from a reference place that already works with these issues, the local heritage society in Bjäre härad. The study resulted in three suggested tools directed to address deeper leverage points to encourage deeper, emotional connection and lead to behavioral change; storytelling, nature-based education, and co-creation. The result showed that visitors-gardens and museums can help increase knowledge about local varieties and potentially reach people with no previous interest or knowledge. However, for these varieties to re-enter the food system several other steps need to be addressed, for example, the lack of seed producers in Sweden that are willing to produce these varieties. The suggested vision can be seen as a small step in trying to place genetic diversity and local varieties on the agenda.