Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices in Swedish Thai restaurants owned by Thai immigrants in the Skåne region. This thesis seeks to understand which environmentally sustainable practices are adopted and which factors drive and challenge their adoption. The empirical material for the study was on-site interviews with restaurant owners and/or managers at ten Swedish Thai restaurants, small and independently owned by Thai immigrants, located in Malmö, Lund, and Lomma. The qualitative data were analyzed using practice theory and categorized into environmentally sustainable practices. The findings indicate that the environmentally sustainable practices commonly adopted in the studied restaurants are waste management, vegetable-based diet, and real food. Less commonly adopted environmentally sustainable practices include innovation and tradition, local food, organic, small producers, and diversity and seasonality. Moreover, the understanding of sustainability among Swedish Thai restaurant owners and managers is a crucial driver for implementing environmentally sustainable practices in restaurants. The findings suggest that Swedish Thai restaurants are important actors in the food system. By implementing environmentally sustainable practices, Swedish Thai restaurants may become crucial changemakers that positively impact the transition to a sustainable food system in the Skåne region.