Enhancing security of food supply: A qualitative analysis bridging stakeholder perspectives on Sweden’s food resilience
(2025) VBRM15 20251Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
- Abstract
- In the face of growing geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, and increasing reliance on complex global supply chains, the issue of security of food supply has gained renewed urgency in Sweden. This thesis investigates how the national security of food supply can be enhanced by integrating the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the Swedish food system. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews to identify existing capacities, perceived challenges, and opportunities for improvement to strengthen preparedness and build resilience. Diverging stakeholder perspectives were identified, particularly regarding priorities, responsibilities, and time-frame considerations, which hinder decision-making,... (More)
- In the face of growing geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, and increasing reliance on complex global supply chains, the issue of security of food supply has gained renewed urgency in Sweden. This thesis investigates how the national security of food supply can be enhanced by integrating the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the Swedish food system. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews to identify existing capacities, perceived challenges, and opportunities for improvement to strengthen preparedness and build resilience. Diverging stakeholder perspectives were identified, particularly regarding priorities, responsibilities, and time-frame considerations, which hinder decision-making, coordinated action and a cohesive understanding. The analysis identifies key vulnerabilities within the current system, such as fragmented responsibilities, high dependency on imports and just-in-time logistics, and limited buffer capacities, while also revealing existing strengths and potential strategies for improvement. The thesis concludes that security of food supply should be addressed as a ‘wicked problem’, underscoring the importance of integrating preparedness into regular operations. Key recommendations include adopting a holistic, multi-hazard approach, aligning time horizons across sectors, improving transparency, leveraging existing capacities and redistributing responsibilities and costs among public and private actors as well as consumers. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have highlighted how fragile the current Swedish security of food supply system is. While Sweden has long trusted open markets and global trade to keep shelves stocked, this system is particularly vulnerable to shocks ranging from geopolitical tensions to climate change. This thesis explores how different actors involved in Sweden’s food system perceive these risks and what capacities and vulnerabilities exist to understand how to improve resilience.
Through interviews with public authorities, private companies, divided into primary producers, suppliers, food industry, and consulting businesses, as well as associations and foundations, academia and voluntary organisations... (More) - Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have highlighted how fragile the current Swedish security of food supply system is. While Sweden has long trusted open markets and global trade to keep shelves stocked, this system is particularly vulnerable to shocks ranging from geopolitical tensions to climate change. This thesis explores how different actors involved in Sweden’s food system perceive these risks and what capacities and vulnerabilities exist to understand how to improve resilience.
Through interviews with public authorities, private companies, divided into primary producers, suppliers, food industry, and consulting businesses, as well as associations and foundations, academia and voluntary organisations the study reveals both strengths and challenges. Yet differing perspectives and timeframes between actors mean efforts are often uncoordinated and fragmented.
This research argues that security of food supply should be approached as a “wicked problem”, described as a complex issue, difficult to define and with no clear resolution. Building resilience therefore requires a collaborative effort to become a permanent part of the system, integrated into everyday functions and processes.
Key recommendations include creating strategies that account for multiple risks, encouraging transparent dialogue across sectors, and redistributing costs more fairly along the supply chain. Hence, with better alignment and long-term thinking, Sweden’s security of food supply can be strengthened. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9196027
- author
- Persson, JoAnna LU and Bozzo, Nicoletta LU
- supervisor
-
- Per Becker LU
- organization
- course
- VBRM15 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Security of food supply, Sweden, preparedness, resilience, food system, risk, capacity, vulnerability, complexity
- language
- English
- id
- 9196027
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-13 15:23:33
- date last changed
- 2025-06-13 15:23:33
@misc{9196027,
abstract = {{In the face of growing geopolitical uncertainty, climate change, and increasing reliance on complex global supply chains, the issue of security of food supply has gained renewed urgency in Sweden. This thesis investigates how the national security of food supply can be enhanced by integrating the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the Swedish food system. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study draws on semi-structured interviews to identify existing capacities, perceived challenges, and opportunities for improvement to strengthen preparedness and build resilience. Diverging stakeholder perspectives were identified, particularly regarding priorities, responsibilities, and time-frame considerations, which hinder decision-making, coordinated action and a cohesive understanding. The analysis identifies key vulnerabilities within the current system, such as fragmented responsibilities, high dependency on imports and just-in-time logistics, and limited buffer capacities, while also revealing existing strengths and potential strategies for improvement. The thesis concludes that security of food supply should be addressed as a ‘wicked problem’, underscoring the importance of integrating preparedness into regular operations. Key recommendations include adopting a holistic, multi-hazard approach, aligning time horizons across sectors, improving transparency, leveraging existing capacities and redistributing responsibilities and costs among public and private actors as well as consumers.}},
author = {{Persson, JoAnna and Bozzo, Nicoletta}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Enhancing security of food supply: A qualitative analysis bridging stakeholder perspectives on Sweden’s food resilience}},
year = {{2025}},
}