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New Policies, New markets? A comparative qualitative analysis of EU and Swedish policies regarding sustainability and their impact on agents engaged in wool and cannabis production in Sweden for the fiber and textile sector

Hjorth, Frideborg LU (2026) EKHS22 20261
Department of Economic History
Abstract
This thesis investigates the experienced impact of recent European Union sustainability policies on actors involved in natural fibre production, specifically hemp and wool in Sweden. As the textile industry faces increasing pressure to transform due to its significant environmental footprint, this research seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by local producers and what role policy has for them today. Adopting a qualitative abductive research approach, the study combines semi-structured interviews with ten stakeholders (farmers, processors, and knowledge agents) and a comparative qualitative document analysis of foundational EU and Swedish policy documents. The findings reveal a significant implementation gap between... (More)
This thesis investigates the experienced impact of recent European Union sustainability policies on actors involved in natural fibre production, specifically hemp and wool in Sweden. As the textile industry faces increasing pressure to transform due to its significant environmental footprint, this research seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by local producers and what role policy has for them today. Adopting a qualitative abductive research approach, the study combines semi-structured interviews with ten stakeholders (farmers, processors, and knowledge agents) and a comparative qualitative document analysis of foundational EU and Swedish policy documents. The findings reveal a significant implementation gap between European ambitions and Swedish national institutional practice. While EU policies have created a sense of opportunity and positive pressure for bio- based alternatives, interviewees consistently described a lack of national coordination, inadequate infrastructure, and fragmented value chains. The comparative analysis suggests that while EU strategies are increasingly progressive, Swedish policy remains comparatively less ambitious. Ultimately, the thesis argues that the transition to sustainable textile systems in Sweden depends not only on regulatory pressure from the EU but on the willingness of national institutions to actively coordinate emerging markets and translate broad sustainability goals into context-specific regional initiatives. (Less)
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author
Hjorth, Frideborg LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS22 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
id
9251666
date added to LUP
2026-09-25 11:59:17
date last changed
2026-09-25 11:59:17
@misc{9251666,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the experienced impact of recent European Union sustainability policies on actors involved in natural fibre production, specifically hemp and wool in Sweden. As the textile industry faces increasing pressure to transform due to its significant environmental footprint, this research seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by local producers and what role policy has for them today. Adopting a qualitative abductive research approach, the study combines semi-structured interviews with ten stakeholders (farmers, processors, and knowledge agents) and a comparative qualitative document analysis of foundational EU and Swedish policy documents. The findings reveal a significant implementation gap between European ambitions and Swedish national institutional practice. While EU policies have created a sense of opportunity and positive pressure for bio- based alternatives, interviewees consistently described a lack of national coordination, inadequate infrastructure, and fragmented value chains. The comparative analysis suggests that while EU strategies are increasingly progressive, Swedish policy remains comparatively less ambitious. Ultimately, the thesis argues that the transition to sustainable textile systems in Sweden depends not only on regulatory pressure from the EU but on the willingness of national institutions to actively coordinate emerging markets and translate broad sustainability goals into context-specific regional initiatives.}},
  author       = {{Hjorth, Frideborg}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{New Policies, New markets? A comparative qualitative analysis of EU and Swedish policies regarding sustainability and their impact on agents engaged in wool and cannabis production in Sweden for the fiber and textile sector}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}