Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Today's food system is one of the main drivers behind the loss of biodiversity and altered ecosystems. The production is dominated by large-scale manufacturers who prioritise efficiency and are connected to the market via long and complex supply chains. When production and consumption occur in closer relation to each other, such as local food systems, it can contribute to increased transparency into the origins of food, the methods used in agriculture and the connections to the ecosystem of the surrounding landscape. Semi-natural pastures are often highly species-rich environments and can contribute several ecosystem services, which makes semi-natural pasture-based beef production an important case in discussions about sustainability. The aim of this study was to investigate which added values farmers with cattle and semi-natural pasture highlight in their sales and how they reason about economic, social and environmental drivers and trade-offs in local sales channels. This study was based on qualitative research, by the means of semi-structed interviews with farmers from Stockholm and Västra Götaland County who sell a proportion of their beef locally. The material was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The triple bottom line and ecosystem services was used as a conceptual and theoretical frameworks to interpret added values and sustainability arguments.

The results showed the use of local channels is primarily motivated by social added values: relationships, direct contact with customers and a sense of meaningful work and recognition. At the same time, local and direct sales were described as labour-intensive and logistically demanding, with limited and uneven economic gains; for some farms it was decisive for price/margin, while others were used as a complement. The interviews also highlighted a difference between values and actual communication: complex ecological reasoning was mainly conveyed in time-consuming contexts (e.g. farm visits), while everyday sales emphasised concrete values such as traceability, seeing the animals, taste and perceived quality. Overall, sustainability in local meat channels points to a continuous balance between social relations, environmental goals and economic constraints, where local sales often complement rather than replace longer value chains.