Localicious Aalborg - The Sustainable Transformation of the Aalborg Food System
Authors
Wohlers, Julia ; Bereczki, Anna
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-06
Pages
110
Abstract
Der er stigende bevidsthed om, at samfundet skal omlægge til et mere bæredygtigt fødevaresystem. Denne kandidatopgave bruger Aalborg som case for at kortlægge interessenter i et urbant fødevaresystem, forstået som et netværk af organisationer, institutioner, virksomheder og borgere, der producerer, forarbejder, distribuerer og forbruger mad. Opgavens hovedproblem er den voksende afstand mellem forbrugere og producenter, som påvirker miljøet og de planetære grænser samt de samfundsøkonomiske beslutningsprocesser og magtfordelingen på regionalt, nationalt og overnationalt niveau. Årsagerne er bl.a. industrialisering, tertiarisering (skift mod servicesektoren) og urbanisering; her fokuseres især på globalisering, der skaber lange forsyningskæder og markedskoncentration. Danske forbrugere styres ofte af pris og bekvemmelighed og ser sjældent konsekvenserne, når de opstår langt væk. Opgaven argumenterer for at styrke lokale fødevaresystemer, så der opstår lokale feedbacksløjfer, hvor folk kan se virkningerne af deres valg og handle hurtigt. Der findes allerede lokale initiativer, men de befinder sig mest i en alternativ sektor uden for det konventionelle system. Der er behov for at genkoble forbrugere og producenter og for at fremme cirkularitet i viden, relationer og ressourcer, fx gennem direkte salg, andelslandbrug (Community Supported Agriculture, CSA), bylandbrug og bedre kredsløb for ressourcer. Dette kræver opbakning fra lokale myndigheder. Aalborg Kommune er på vej: I kommunens bæredygtighedsstrategi fremmes ressourcecirkularitet, og behovet for at forbinde jord og bord nævnes, men udviklingen går langsomt. For at integrere den alternative sektor i det konventionelle fødevaresystem anbefales det at etablere en faglig fokusgruppe om mad, der arbejder målrettet mod et bæredygtigt fødevaresystem for Aalborg. Kommunale madindsatser bør gå videre end at være forbillede med bæredygtig kost i kantiner; kommunen bør informere og facilitere borgerne og skabe støttende rammer og regulering for fødevareinnovation. Kortlægningen bygger på semistrukturerede interviews med aktører fra fire grupper: politik, planlægning, den konventionelle sektor og den alternative sektor. Hertil kommer litteraturstudier og analyse af frontløbere inden for madpolitik for at udforme en køreplan for Aalborg til at håndtere afkoblingen lokalt. Som supplement er der udarbejdet et fysisk kort over Aalborgs alternative fødevarescene, der skal hjælpe borgere med at finde lokale muligheder og fremme ansvarligt forbrug.
There is growing awareness that we need a more sustainable food system. This master’s thesis uses Aalborg as a case study to map the stakeholders in an urban food system, understood as the network of organizations, institutions, businesses, and individuals involved in producing, processing, distributing, and consuming food. The central issue is the widening distance between consumers and producers, which affects environmental limits and also socio-economic decision-making and power distribution at regional, national, and supranational levels. Several forces contribute to this distance—industrialization, tertiarization (a shift toward the service economy), and urbanization—but the thesis focuses on globalization, which creates long supply chains and market concentration. Danish consumers are often guided by price and convenience and may not see the consequences of their choices when impacts occur on the other side of the world. The thesis argues for strengthening local food systems to create local feedback loops, so people can see the effects of their behavior and respond quickly. Local initiatives already exist, yet mostly in an alternative sector outside the conventional system. Reconnecting consumers and producers and promoting circularity in knowledge, social relations, and resources is needed—for example through direct sales, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), urban farming, and better resource cycles—and should be supported by local government. Aalborg Municipality is moving in this direction: its Sustainability Strategy promotes resource circularity and mentions reconnecting farm and fork, although progress is slow. To help bring the alternative sector into the conventional system, the thesis recommends establishing a food focus group of experts to work toward a sustainable food system for Aalborg. Municipal food actions should go beyond being a role model with sustainable canteens; municipalities should inform and facilitate choices and provide supportive regulation for food innovation. The stakeholder mapping is based on semi-structured interviews with actors from four groups—policy-making, planning, the conventional sector, and the alternative sector—alongside a literature review and analysis of best practices from food-policy pioneers to outline a roadmap for addressing disconnection in Aalborg’s local food system. In addition, a physical map of Aalborg’s alternative food sector was created to help residents explore local options and encourage responsible consumption.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Food system ; UFS ; LFS ; disconnection ; sustainability ; local ; Aalborg Municipality ; food policy ; circularity
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