Localness as the new orthodoxy? Critical reflections on localisation of food systems

Localisation is often mentioned as the antidote to the negative consequences of globalisation. The paper evaluates the usefullness of the concept in relation to empirical studies of local food systems and proposes a revised understanding of the global-local continuum, which could be of use in developing sustainable organic food systems in a context of globalisatio

Complexity and trust – experiences from local Danish Food Communities

Generally food consumers in Denmark do not trust the food production and distribution systems and the management of risk related to food consumption has become part of the daily life of many (Halkier & Holm, 2004). This paper explores how relations of trust are formed in two local Danish Food Communities (Fødevarefællesskaber) in Aarhus and Copenhagen. Food Communities are communities of consumers organized around the provision of local fresh vegetables directly from local producers. The Food Communities, together with local farmers, share the responsibilities, normally carried out by other market actors, such as logistics, sale and price formation. The vegetables are sold to the members of the community, at a relatively low price, if they take part in the duty work related to the food provisioning. The community functions despite no binding or long term agreements are made between the communities and the producers. The aim of this paper is to evaluate what role trust plays in order for the communities to function. Focus is given to 1) the mechanisms that create and maintain trust between the actors and 2) the challenges that the relations of trust are exposed to and 3) how the communities are dealing with these challenges

Samfundsvidenskabelig bæredygtighedsteori

Sigtet med arbejdspapiret er at give en kortfattet oversigt over bæredygtighedsteori, specielt med udgangspunkt i samfundsvidenskabelige indgange til begrebet. Etableringen af denne oversigt skal både tjene det formål at sige noget om hvordan man samfundsteoretisk kan angribe diskrepansen mellem økologiske principper og praksis, som det gør sig gældende i OASE projektet under FØJO II, såvel som at afklare hvilke typer bæredygtighedsteori, som synes relevante at inddrage i en undersøgelse af økologiske fødevarenetværks udvikling, som det gør sig gældende i forfatterens PhD-projekt "Modernitet, tid, rum og økologiske fødevarenetværk"

Bæredygtige producent-forbruger netværk?

Nedenstående er en præsentation af et relativt nystartet PhD-projekt, som er samfinansieret af Aalborg Universitets Institut for Økonomi, Politik og Forvaltning og Forskningscenter for Økologisk Jordbrug. Projektet er tilknyttet FØJO II-projektet ”Forbrugernes interesse i økologiske fødevarer”. Der er igennem projektet endvidere tæt tematisk forbindelse til FØJO II projektet ”Økologisk jordbrug i helheden – principper og praksis (OASE)”. Projektet udføres af Cand. Agro. Chris Kjeldsen, i perioden december 2001 til maj 200

The origin and development of sclereids in the leaves of Camellia Reticulata Lindl

This study is concerned primarily with sclerenchymatous idioblasts. These idioblasts are polymorphic, and are commonly termed sclereids. The term sclereid is derived from the Greek work skleros (meaning hard). The hardness of sclereids and sclerenchyma tissue is due to their thickened cell walls, which are for the most part lignified. Their principal function is mechanical giving strength to plant tissue organs, therefore, enabling them to withstand various environmental stresses. This paper deals with the foliar sclereid type of sclerenchymatous idioblast. The study of sclereids raises many of the fundamental problems of botany. Some of these are: growth and development, senescence of cells, intercellular relationships, and the value of idioblastic cells in systematic taxonomy. This study is not an attempt to answer all of these problems, but it is presented in the hope that it may give some additional information toward the solution of some of these fundamental problems

Synergies between the expansion of biogas production and organic farming

Synergies between the expansion of biogas production and organic farming

Modernitet, tid, rum og økologiske fødevarenetværk

The title of the project is ”Modernity, time, space and organic food networks”. The empirical basis for the project is case-studies of four different alternative organic food networks. A fundamental assumption behind the project is that modernity causes disembedding, meaning functional differentiation and distanciation of food networks in time and space, which has potentially negative consequences socially as well as ecologically. The theme of the project can thus be summed up as four questions, which will be adressed in the thesis: 1.Does disembedding take place in alternative organic food networks? 2.If it does, how does disembedding take place? 3.Given that disembedding takes place, what are the driving forces? 4.Regardless if disembedding takes place or not, can the selected alternative organic food networks be said to integrate both social and ecological objectives in the production and consumption of organic food

Full case study report: Gram Slot/Rema1000 - Denmark

The Gram Slot/Rema 1000 case is a food chain, which consists of organic dairy products made by Gram Slot and sold by the supermarket chain Rema 1000 Gram Slot has another branch of their enterprise, consisting of a number of leisure and cultural activities taking place at Gram Slot. In terms of agricultural products the food chain studied involves one major producer, Gram Slot. The distribution of the agricultural products takes place partly through Gram Slot’s own farm shop, but the bulk part of the products are sold via the 259 Rema 1000 supermarkets in Denmark. Rema 1000 has exclusive rights to selling Gram Slot products. The other business branch consists of a number of leisure and cultural activities taking place at 4 Gram Slot. These activities serves different purposes. On the one hand the activities generate income for Gram Slot and, on the other hand, they are a vital part of constituting the brand of Gram Slot. Promoting and branding of the agricultural products contribute to making them unique, which also enhances the brand value of the products for Rema 1000. The Gram/Rema 1000 case was considered for the Healthy Growth project because of the unusual organisation of the chain in a Danish context. This form of organizing a mid-scale food chain in Denmark is a novelty because it represents at fundamental break with a long lasting norm in Danish agriculture of giving high priority to individual ownership. In this respect this case is an example of introducing a mode of organization which is uncommon in the Danish agricultural sector. The owner of Gram Slot, Svend Brodersen (I1), emphasized in an interview that many of my friends tend their daily duties in their companies and they smile all day, even though they own 0 % of the company they are managing. Why is it, that just because it is a farm, you cannot be happy if you only own 51 % of the shares

Mediation of values from production to consumption - a relational analysis of values based organic food chains

A sustainable agriculture is dependent on how we care for and cultivate our soil. Not only in terms of producing food of good quality, but also in terms of maintaining the quality of the soil to feed future generations, nature of the farm land, of the surrounding landscape, and not least the quality of rural livelihood. From a neoclassic perspective the market is seen as driver of a sustainable development, depending on will of the political consumer. This argument though is self-contradictory because in a neoliberal food regime the only relation consumers have to how the soil is cultivated is through decoupled global food chains, and most people only know little about the actual agriculture and the cultivation of the soil. However, emerging food-chains are trying to (re-)establish “values-based” couplings between man and soil, emphasizing a broad range of values, promising for a market based sustainable development. The aim of this report is to analyse to what extent different values-based food-chains offer quality couplings between production and consumption, and thereby supports a more sustainable food production. The analysis is based on studies of 18 organic values-based food chains from the HealthyGrowth project, which are distinguished by a broad range of values. We ask: What kind of value relations are these chains able to support? What role do the different agents of the chains play in this? To what extent do these chains facilitate sustainability in agricultural production