Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This study explores the roles and perspectives of middle chain actors such as distributors, retailers, and processors in integrating Ecosystem Based Agriculture (EBA) into Sweden's agrifood supply chain. The primary intention of the study is to contribute to the understanding of the factors such as opportunities, challenges and drivers that influence the decision to source raw material from EBA. Major four food processing companies in Sweden participated in semi structured interviews as a method of gathering qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data, with a connection to stakeholder theory and SWOT analysis. The results highlight that consumer demand, sustainability objectives, long term brand positioning may support the adoption of EBA. However, challenges including certification cost, inconsistent supplies and legislative restrictions may prevent the broader adoption of EBA. Notably the findings further emphasize that collaboration among different stakeholders is critical to enabling systemic change. The study concludes that middle chain actors can be a powerful agent for sustainable transformation if supported by relevant strategies and collaborative governance in aligning with the ecology and market interests.