Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The global food system is at a crossroads. While industrial agriculture has succeeded in maximising
yields, this progress has come at the expense of biodiversity, ecological resilience, and traditional food
practices. These impacts extended beyond the agricultural landscape, shaping how food is processed,
transported, and ultimately consumed. Within this system, food businesses play an increasingly
influential yet understudied role as mediators between producers and consumers, shaping not only
what is sourced and sold but also how values such as ecological sustainability, quality, and locality are
transmitted along the supply chain. In mainstream agri-industrial systems, this intermediary role is
often characterised by large wholesalers, long food miles, and a lack of transparency, thereby
contributing to a disconnection between production and consumption. Transitions towards
agroecological principles, where community, trust-based relationships, biodiversity, variability, and
ecosystem services are prioritised over economic principles, can lead to more sustainable food
systems. This thesis researches how small independent bakeries in Malmö, Sweden, engage with and
navigate agroecological transitions. Through semi-structured interviews with bakery owners and using
Meadows’ (1999) leverage points framework and Gliessman’s levels of agroecological transitions, the
study identifies the barriers and enablers that influence the adoption of local agroecological
ingredients in bakery operations. Findings show that barriers were primarily concentrated at shallow
leverage points, such as economic costs, certification processes, and logistical constraints. On the
other hand, enablers tended to reflect deeper leverage points, including trust-based relationships,
community engagement, and business values and identity. A third analytical category (tensions and
opportunities) emerged during the research analysis, capturing areas of conflicting incentives and
overlapping challenges within food businesses. The research argues that advancing agroecological
transitions could benefit from a cross-sectoral approach that includes food businesses as active agents
of change, not merely passive intermediaries. While systemic change is a complex and long-term
process, fostering adaptive business models, collaborative networks, and supportive policy structures
can support food businesses in aligning economic viability with agroecological principles. This thesis
contributes to sustainability science by demonstrating how practical, grounded interventions at
multiple leverage points can drive positive transformations within the food system.