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The roots of the green gold: A critical policy analysis of how the forest is represented in the Swedish forest policy shift of 1993.

Berglund Ager, Tyko LU (2019) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20192
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
In 2018, the strategy for Sweden’s National Forest Program emphasized the Swedish forests as green gold. A peculiar formulation that I in this study trace to the roots of the existing Forestry Act. Directly I deal with the question: how has the forest been represented in the Swedish forest policy shift of 1993? The overarching question is complemented by several questions included in the critical policy analysis framework What’s the problem represented to be, which I apply on the forest policy proposition About a New Forest Policy of 1993. The Forestry Act of 1993 introduced the environmental goal as equal to the established production goal. In the analysis, the problem representations the endangered biodiversity and an inefficient forest... (More)
In 2018, the strategy for Sweden’s National Forest Program emphasized the Swedish forests as green gold. A peculiar formulation that I in this study trace to the roots of the existing Forestry Act. Directly I deal with the question: how has the forest been represented in the Swedish forest policy shift of 1993? The overarching question is complemented by several questions included in the critical policy analysis framework What’s the problem represented to be, which I apply on the forest policy proposition About a New Forest Policy of 1993. The Forestry Act of 1993 introduced the environmental goal as equal to the established production goal. In the analysis, the problem representations the endangered biodiversity and an inefficient forest industry are identified in the policy shift of 1993. Further, a clear hierarchy between the two representations is identified. The hierarchy stems from the conceptual logics of the capability of neoliberal capitalism to reverse the trend of environmental degradation to environmental benefits, predominantly anchored in the neoliberal and the ecological modernization discourses. Due to these conceptual logics, the proposition contains presuppositions that more
freedom under responsibility amongst forest owners will result in efficiency and improved biodiversity protection. Additionally, due to these logics the forest has been represented as the solution to the two most pressing problems of the time, the economic recession in Sweden and the increasing environmental concern emphasized through biodiversity loss. As a final reflection, the roots of the green gold appear to be evident in the policy shift of 1993 that is connected to optimism and opportunity. (Less)
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author
Berglund Ager, Tyko LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20192
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Forest policy analysis, WPR approach, The Swedish Forestry Act, Discourses, Ecological Modernization, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2019:043
language
English
id
8997304
date added to LUP
2019-11-04 12:13:52
date last changed
2019-11-04 12:13:52
@misc{8997304,
  abstract     = {{In 2018, the strategy for Sweden’s National Forest Program emphasized the Swedish forests as green gold. A peculiar formulation that I in this study trace to the roots of the existing Forestry Act. Directly I deal with the question: how has the forest been represented in the Swedish forest policy shift of 1993? The overarching question is complemented by several questions included in the critical policy analysis framework What’s the problem represented to be, which I apply on the forest policy proposition About a New Forest Policy of 1993. The Forestry Act of 1993 introduced the environmental goal as equal to the established production goal. In the analysis, the problem representations the endangered biodiversity and an inefficient forest industry are identified in the policy shift of 1993. Further, a clear hierarchy between the two representations is identified. The hierarchy stems from the conceptual logics of the capability of neoliberal capitalism to reverse the trend of environmental degradation to environmental benefits, predominantly anchored in the neoliberal and the ecological modernization discourses. Due to these conceptual logics, the proposition contains presuppositions that more
freedom under responsibility amongst forest owners will result in efficiency and improved biodiversity protection. Additionally, due to these logics the forest has been represented as the solution to the two most pressing problems of the time, the economic recession in Sweden and the increasing environmental concern emphasized through biodiversity loss. As a final reflection, the roots of the green gold appear to be evident in the policy shift of 1993 that is connected to optimism and opportunity.}},
  author       = {{Berglund Ager, Tyko}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{The roots of the green gold: A critical policy analysis of how the forest is represented in the Swedish forest policy shift of 1993.}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}