Consumers' perceptions of sustainably produced food - a focus group study

The purpose of this study is to provide information on consumers' perceptions of sustainably produced food products and the main product attributes that influence consumer's buying behaviour in the case of organic, Fair Trade and locally produced food. The paper draws on data from four focus groups. The results provide empirical insight into the motivating as well as the restricting factors which influence consumers' purchasing behaviour in the case of sustainably produced food and introduce the emerging key themes associated with the attributes of sustainably produced food products

Action-oriented knowledge for sustainable management of organic soils in Finnish agriculture

Agriculture is a contributing force to climate change due to unsustainable changes in land use with the usage of peatlands for food production in Finland. The use of organic soils in food production is a complex and politically driven issue, thus multistakeholder and participatory approaches to policy development, implementation and evaluation are essential. This study is integrating qualitative and quantitative methods in an iterative process to produce action-oriented knowledge for supporting actions to sustainably manage peatlands and reduce the enormous greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural peatlands. This study has engaged inter-disciplinary researchers and transdisciplinary actors in the Finnish food system via farmers, regional and ministry officials, food industry representatives along with education and research representatives to produce action-oriented knowledge for sustainability. The results indicate that actions are needed to develop a shared understanding between relevant actors and stakeholders in the food system to create activities and effective policy measures to remove peatlands from active production in Finland. Therefore, there is a necessity to identify and define incentives from both the public and private sectors to remove peatlands from food production, and thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Interventions that account for local, regional, and national perspectives should be co-created among the inter-disciplinary researchers and transdisciplinary actors in the food system to generate transformative and system-wide change in the transition towards a low-carbon society

Matrix sustainability : applying input-output analysis to environmental and economic sustainability indicators : case: Finnish Forest Sector

Pre-requisite for all sustainability actions in business is accurate measurement of economic, environmental and social performance. Sustainability indicators, or indicator sets, are then the tools, which simplify the complex sustainability information applicable for management processes, decision-making and communication. Measuring business sustainability is not an easy task, especially while simultaneously considering macro-level sustainability. Indicators should somehow capture the corporate/ industry contributions to sustainability and increase the understanding on the link between business performance and macro-level concerns. Hence, traditional macro-level tools from the field of economics may be borrowed in order to illuminate sustainability issues in the broader context. The purpose of this study is to describe how input-output analysis can be used in industry-level and site-level sustainability indicator design. The research methods applied are secondary data analysis (theoretic-conceptual approach) and a case study (empirical approach), which consists of 1995 input-output tables of the Finnish economy with disaggregated forest sector (27 industrial branches). Conceptual/ methodological development of sustainability indicators is demonstrated with empirical data. Environmental and economic sustainability aspects considered are global warming potential, acidification potential, value added, operating surplus, number of employees and working hours. Input-output tables and input-output analysis are used in calculating and presenting industry-level absolute and integrated sustainability indicators related to these aspects. Eco-efficiency and labour productivity of three industrial branches are compared. Hybrid indicators are presented as an example of combination of site-specific data and average input-output-based data. The study suggests that sustainability indicators based on input-output analysis can provide deeper understanding on the upstream supply chain system related to an industry or a site. Empirical study also shows that indirect impacts within the upstream supply chain system are often more significant than the direct contribution of business entity.Ari Paloviita tutki väitöskirjatyössään kansantalouden panos-tuotosanalyysin soveltamista ekologisen ja taloudellisen kestävyyden indikaattoreihin toimialalla ja toimipaikalla. Tutkimuksessa kehitettyjä kestävyyden indikaattoreita demonstroitiin Suomen metsäsektoria ja sen toimialoja kuvaavan kattavan aineiston ja kansallisten panos-tuotostaulujen avulla.Paloviidan tutkimuksessa osoitettiin, että makrotason näkökulman liittäminen toimialan ja toimipaikan kestävyyden indikaattoreihin vaikuttaa oleellisesti mittaustuloksiin. Tutkimuksen mukaan kestävän kehityksen kannalta ratkaisevaa on se, miten ekotehokkuuden systeemirajaus määritetään. Taloudellinen toimija, jonka välittömät ympäristövaikutukset ovat vähäiset, voi osoittaa erinomaista ekotehokkuutta, mutta kun systeemi laajennetaan kattamaan koko tarjontaketjusysteemi, ekotehokkuus saattaa heiketä huomattavasti suhteessa muihin toimialoihin

Food processing companies, retailers and climate-resilient supply chain management

This article has no abstract.nonPeerReviewe

Food Security Is None Of Your Business? : Food Supply Chain Management In Support Of A Sustainable Food System

Food security is the principal outcome of any given food system and it can be defined in terms of a sustainable food system where the core goal is to feed everyone sustainably, equitably and healthily. A sustainable food system addresses needs for availability, affordability and accessibility, is diverse, ecologically-sound and resilient, and builds the capabilities and skills necessary for future generations. This paper identifies the essential elements of food supply chain management in support of a sustainable food system, which ultimately enhances food security. The existing food supply chain and food system literature is synthesized in order to study the correspondence between public interests towards sustainable food and corporate interests. Giant food retailers, food processors and manufacturers, and food service supply chains in particular, extend their global reach, influence food culture and may be more important in shaping food systems than governments. Thus, the paper proposes food security frameworks for both upstream and downstream supply chain management. It concludes that sustainable food system thinking and societal orientation towards food security can hold the key to unlocking the next wave of food supply chain innovation and growth, and offers implications and suggestions for future research.peerReviewe

Developing a matrix framework for protein transition towards more sustainable diets

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a matrix framework to understand the interdependencies of domains and scales of protein transition towards diets based on plants and alternative sources of proteins. Design/methodology/approach The abductive research approach is used in building the framework, and the proposed framework is illustrated using the regional food system in Central Finland as an example. Focus groups and interviews were used to collect qualitative data from 28 respondents. Findings This study provides a framework for protein transition, with five domains and five scale levels. Interactions between public and private governance activities at different scales, domains and governed niche and regime levels are discussed. The study shows how micro-level activities at individual or community levels are linked with broader governance activities. Research limitations/implications Due to the relatively narrowed set of empirical data, further research is required to test the framework in different regional and cultural settings. Practical implications This paper presents a practical illustration of the matrix framework, and considering this, the paper discusses the possible implications of matrix interdependencies for protein transition management. Social implications This study proposes that understanding the coevolution of domains and scales, with the help of accurate policies and business models, can lead to effective protein transition. Originality/value This study fulfils an identified need to study protein transition in a broader frame, which highlights the structural activity interdependencies between different scale levels and domains.peerReviewe

Innovations for sustainable protein systems

Purpose: Introduction of new, alternative protein sources and products for replacing conventional animal products requires many innovations at the product level and the system level. However, less attention has been given to analyzing the emergence of entrepreneurial and business responses to sustainable protein system. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the opportunities and challenges in food processing related to sustainable protein systems from the perspective of sustainable innovations and sustainable entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: Thematic qualitative interviews were conducted in Finnish food manufacturing companies during the first half of 2018. Nineteen (19) interviews were conducted, of which sixteen (16) were face-to-face and three (3) by telephone using a semistructured guide. Half of the companies represented traditional and established protein industry, whereas the other half represented alternative smaller-scale protein industry. The tape-recorded interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using qualitative content analysis and abductive coding scheme. Findings: The interviewees of the traditional protein industry generally favored incremental innovations, adjustments and improvements, whereas the interviewees of alternative protein industry emphasized more radical and systemic innovations. It was generally agreed that the global long-term challenges, including climate change and population growth, will provide increasing opportunities for a more diverse variety of protein sources and products. Research/practical implications: Sustainable protein innovations can be incremental, radical, sustaining or disruptive, but their contribution to sustainable protein system differ. Future research could study in more detail the practices of providers of sustainable protein innovations and investigate spatial and cultural embeddedness of protein innovations. Originality/value: Academic implications of the study lie in the exploration of the relevance of protein issues in the context of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship literature. Practical implications of the study relate to raising awareness towards sustainable protein innovations in terms of new business models, value offerings and entrepreneurial practices.peerReviewe

Consumers’ Sustainability Perceptions of the Supply Chain of Locally Produced Food

This article is based on a qualitative focus group study regarding consumer perceptions about the sustainability of locally produced food supply chains. Sustainability perceptions were analyzed through thematic content analysis, where the most important economic, environmental and social themes of the supply chain were emphasized. According to the research findings, the socio-cultural aspects encompassing locally produced food form the most important sustainability dimension for consumers. Although the sample size is small, consisting of 19 consumers and limited to Central Finland, the findings suggest that the sustainability of local food should be promoted via socio-cultural arguments alongside economic or environmental ones. The results conclude that the development of local food networks requires direct personal relationships with producers, social networking, consumer education and communication.locally produced food; supply chain; sustainability; consumer perceptions; focus group