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Horse farms can cause significant leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus and thus contribute to eutrophication.The nutrient load from equine activities should be better taken into account in national calculations and work on eutrophication, so that measures can be taken to reduce it.

The COVID-19 pandemic had disruptive consequences for MENA countries’ agri-food value chains that exacerbated poverty and jeopardized food security. This study examines the relationship between individuals’ perception of contracting COVID-19 and their experience of food insecurity, using longitudinal data from the Combined COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household survey. It also investigates the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19 concerns and explores coping strategies employed by households to identify vulnerabilities in food security. The results provide compelling evidence of a strong association between individuals’ concern about the virus and various dimensions of food security, particularly reduced purchasing power and decreased meal frequency. Notably, this association follows an inverted U-shaped curve, with food insecurity initially increasing as worry grows, but declining after individuals contract the virus. High levels of concern were also linked to significant income decreases and worsening economic conditions. Moreover, individuals with higher concerns were more likely to rely on specific coping strategies, particularly spending savings and obtaining funds from relatives or friends. These findings underscore the need for government interventions during disease outbreaks and economic downturns to focus on alleviating individuals’ worry and fear to facilitate informed decision-making that minimizes food insecurity consequences. Additionally, the findings emphasize the need to strengthen social protection systems during public health and economic challenges to ensure food security for vulnerable populations.

PurposeThis study examines the willingness of Spanish and Lithuanian grain farmers to adopt a combined approach of preventive site-specific spraying (PSSS) and selective harvesting (SH), two precision agricultural technologies (below referred to as PSSS-SH) aimed at mitigating the risk of mycotoxin contamination in barley and wheat. MethodsData were collected from 190 commercial grain farmers using a choice experimental survey. The empirical analysis relied on the estimation of mixed logit and integrated latent class models. ResultsThe surveyed farmers were heterogeneous in their preference for the PSSS-SH technology, with a majority (81%) reporting that they were willing to adopt and pay for the PSSS-SH technology. Furthermore, the farmers’ willingness to adopt PSSS-SH technology was influenced by the trade-offs between the potential production, economic and environmental changes. ConclusionProfit maximization is not the only motivation for a farmer’s decision to adopt PSSS-SH, there are also important non-financial benefits that align with the observed choices. Furthermore, the perceived usefulness of the technology, the willingness and readiness to use the technology, and the farmer characteristics (e.g. cooperative membership, employment status, share of household income from grain production and past experience with precision farming technology) were positively associated with uptake of the PSSS-SH technology. Therefore, extension programmes should have a special focus on the perceived usefulness of the technology, the willingness and readiness of farmers to use it, and its unique characteristics.

Achieving high maize yields and efficient phosphorus (P) use with limited environmental impacts is one of the greatest challenges in sustainable maize production. Increasing plant density is considered an effective approach for achieving high maize yields. However, the low mobility of P in soils and the scarcity of natural P resources have hindered the development of methods that can simultaneously optimize P use and mitigate the P-related environmental footprint at high plant densities. In this study, meta-analysis and substance flow analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of different types of mineral P fertilizer on maize yield at varying plant densities and assess the flow of P from rock phosphate mining to P fertilizer use for maize production in China. A significantly higher yield was obtained at higher plant densities than at lower plant densities. The application of single super-phosphate, triple super-phosphate, and calcium magnesium phosphate at high plant densities resulted in higher yields and a smaller environmental footprint than the application of diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate. Our scenario analyses suggest that combining the optimal P type and application rate with a high plant density could increase maize yield by 22%. Further, the P resource use efficiency throughout the P supply chain increased by 39%, whereas the P-related environmental footprint decreased by 33%. Thus, simultaneously optimizing the P type and application rate at high plant densities achieved multiple objectives during maize production, indicating that combining P management with cropping techniques is a practical approach to sustainable maize production. These findings offer strategic, synergistic options for achieving sustainable agricultural development., QC 20240604

Horse farms can cause significant leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus and thus contribute to eutrophication.The nutrient load from equine activities should be better taken into account in national calculations and work on eutrophication, so that measures can be taken to reduce it.

Renpåkörningar är ett stort problem i de nordligaste länen. Dessa orsakar lidande för djuren och stora kostnader för enskilda och samhället. Under 2017 inträffade 2 237 olyckor där ren var inblandad, i de sex nordligaste länen enligt statistik från viltolycksrådet. Det har inträffat 2 210 olyckor med ren under 2018. Vägarna går genom renarnas traditionella betesmarker. Vägar utgör en barriär i landskapet och påverkar renarnas naturliga vandring och rörelsemönster. Om sommaren kommer djuren gärna till vägrenarna för att beta, eller för att få lindring för myggen på de torra, öppna områdena. På vintrarna vistas renarna ofta på vägarna dels för att det är lättare att ta sig fram där än i djup snö, men även för att äta saltet som används för halkbekämpning. Ett flertal dialogmöten med samebyar har genomförts i olika åtgärdsvalsstudier och utredningar i Trafikverkets region Nord. En problematik som lyfts vid nästan alla dessa möten och som är gemensamt för samebyarna är de faror/risker som renskötarna utsätts för längs vägarna eller i vägområden. Det handlar främst om situationer när renskötarna ska ta hand om renar som skadats, dödats eller hamnat/blivit kvar inom vägområdet. Svårigheterna och riskerna blir än större längs vägar med mötesseparering och stängsling där det är svårt att stanna, hitta öppningar för att få ut renen ur vägområdet, osv. Det är inte helt självklart eller tydligt vad som gäller när dessa situationer uppstår. Syftet med den här åtgärdsvalsstudien är att föreslå förbättringar av rutiner och åtgärder för eftersök, säkrare hantering av levande, skadade och döda renar i vägtrafik. Samt att reda ut vad som gäller för avstängning av allmän väg vid samlad flytt av renar., Denna rapport är en ny upplaga av Åtgärdsvalsstudien Rennäringens arbetsmiljö i vägtrafik, TRV 2018/52834, utifrån anpassning enligt Lagen om tillgänglighet till digital offentlig service (DOS-lagen). Detta medför att materialet är uppdaterat utifrån ett tillgänglighetsperspektiv vilket kan innebära att exempelvis bilder samt disposition kan skilja från originalet medan textinnehåll är i enlighet med tidigare paketerad rapport.

Recognising and including the knowledge and leadership of indigenous peoples in building resilient food systems is crucial for equitable transformation. Kenyan decision makers must empower indigenous peoples to engage in local climate adaptation and agricultural sector planning, and at the same time protect those peoples’ rights., This policy brief is based on a collaboration between the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), the Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE), and the CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR).

Publicerad 2023-07-05

Recent developments in deep learning, coupled with an increasing number of sequenced proteins, have led to a breakthrough in life science applications, in particular in protein property prediction. There is hope that deep learning can close the gap between the number of sequenced proteins and proteins with known properties based on lab experiments. Language models from the field of natural language processing have gained popularity for protein property predictions and have led to a new computational revolution in biology, where old prediction results are being improved regularly. Such models can learn useful multipurpose representations of proteins from large open repositories of protein sequences and can be used, for instance, to predict protein properties. The field of natural language processing is growing quickly because of developments in a class of models based on a particular model - the Transformer model. We review recent developments and the use of large-scale Transformer models in applications for predicting protein characteristics and how such models can be used to predict, for example, post-translational modifications. We review shortcomings of other deep learning models and explain how the Transformer models have quickly proven to be a very promising way to unravel information hidden in the sequences of amino acids.

International trade plays a fundamental role in today's globalized food system, however, trade-related disruptions to national food supply have become increasingly prevalent. Although national food self-sufficiency and the resilience of domestic food production are both increasingly discussed, they are rarely investigated in tandem. This hinders our understanding of the diversity of risks to national food supply. In this article we investigate the contribution of production to these risks, through the compilation of a comprehensive national production dataset and a multi-indicator assessment of self-sufficiency and diversity. Our results show that most of the world (127 countries and territories, 87% of the global population) achieves high levels of potential self-sufficiency (≥6 nutrients fulfilled), however only 33% of the world population (41 countries) are fully self-sufficient. Of countries with high levels of self-sufficiency, fruit and vegetable production (a proxy for many micronutrients) is the most common “missing” sufficiency. 66 countries (6% of population) have a low degree of self-sufficiency, highlighting potential vulnerability to trade-related disruptions. The relationship between sufficiency and diversity is not homogeneous, highlighting that some production systems are reliant on very few products.

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to small and medium agri-food enterprises (SMAEs) in developing countries. However, research investigating what risks Covid-19 posed to these firms, how they responded, and what business opportunities emerged to SMAEs from the pandemic remains scanty. Drawing on a sample of 166 specialist SMAEs in Egypt, this study addressed these entwined questions by using multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) and mediation analysis. Our results point out that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed Egyptian SMAEs to complex and multidimensional risks, and caused profound effects on both upstream and downstream stages of their supply chains. In general, Egyptian SMAEs adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to cope with such Covid-19 risks and impacts, which was attributed to their lack of sufficient financial resources to develop risk management strategies and formalize structures to deal with unexpected events. Interestingly, the results showed that several business opportunities emerged from pandemic; but SMAEs' resource disadvantages constrained their capacity to seize and exploit these opportunities. Moreover, we found that mitigation strategies adopted by SMAEs present a mediating factor between perceived Covid-19 risks and perceived business opportunities. Overall, our findings call for a paradigm shift in relation to enterprise risk management in developing countries' SMAEs toward more holistic frameworks to enhance their preparedness to future shocks, make mature operational and strategic management decisions, and exploit strategic opportunities.

Agrifood systems are intrinsically linked to climate change and are particularly vulnerable to its impacts. Each year hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of crops and livestock production is lost due to disaster events, undermining hard-won development gains and livelihoods for farmers. At the same time, agrifood systems are substantial contributors of emissions. As such, agrifood systems must play a central role in providing solutions for climate change – both adaptation and mitigation – while meeting the food security needs of present and future generations. The communities that support and depend on agrifood systems are on the front line of loss and damage associated with climate change. Loss and damage can generally be described as the negative impact of climate change that occurs despite mitigation and adaptation efforts. Addressing loss and damage in the agrifood system is crucial, given its importance for livelihoods and sustainable development. Taking collective action is essential to tackle loss and damage in agrifood systems to ensure that the livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities are adequately protected and food security needs are met. The purpose of this report is to stimulate discussions on the central role of agrifood systems in the loss and damage debate and identify the gaps in data, knowledge and finance that need to be addressed. The report provides an overview of the loss and damage concept, the status of analytical methodologies and tools, a summary of the reporting on loss and damage in nationally determined contributions (NDCs), an outline of the policy needs and some preliminary analysis of the financing needs. Overall, support to countries needs to be targeted and strengthened so that loss and damage in agrifood systems can be dealt with as early as possible. This support needs to ensure that no one is left behind while striving for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.

Position data from real-time indoor positioning systems are increasingly used for studying individual cow behavior and social behavior in dairy herds. However, missing data challenges achieving reliable continuous activity monitoring and behavior studies. This study investigates the pattern of missing data and alternative interpolation methods in ultra-wideband based real-time indoor positioning systems in a free-stall barn. We collected 3 months of position data from a Swedish farm with around 200 cows. Data sampled for 6 days from 69 cows were used in subsequent analyzes to determine the location and duration of missing data. Data from 20 cows with the most reliable tags were selected to compare the effects of four different interpolation methods (previous, linear interpolation, cubic spline data interpolation and modified Akima interpolation). By comparing the observed data with the interpolations of the simulated missing data, the mean error distance varied from around 55 cm, using the previously last observed position, to around 17 cm for modified Akima. Modified Akima interpolation has the lowest error distance for all investigated activities (rest, walking, standing, feeding). Larger error distances were found in areas where the cows walk and turn, such as the corner between feeding and cubicles. Modified Akima interpolation is expected to be useful in the subsequent analyses of data gathered using real-time indoor positioning systems.

Food system technologies (FSTs) are being developed to accelerate the transformation towards sustainable food systems. Here we conducted a systematic scoping review that accounts for multiple dimensions of sustainability to describe the extent, range and nature of peer-reviewed literature that assesses the sustainability performance of four FSTs: plant-based alternatives, vertical farming, food deliveries and blockchain technology. Included literature had a dominant focus on environmental sustainability and less on public health and socio-economic sustainability. Gaps in the literature include empirical assessments on the sustainability of blockchain technology, plant-based seafood alternatives, public health consequences of food deliveries and socio-economic consequences of vertical farming. The development of a holistic sustainability assessment framework that demonstrates the impact of deploying FSTs is needed to guide investments in and the development of sustainable food innovation. Gaps in the literature include empirical sustainability assessments of blockchain technology and plant-based seafood alternatives, public health consequences of food deliveries and socio-economic consequences of vertical farming.

In our previous work, we used Salix viminalis in the field to decontaminate agricultural soils containing cadmium. Our aim in the current study was to determine whether S. viminalis could decrease the levels of heavy metals, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial soil at a former workshop site. The site was planted with S. viminalis cuttings in July 2003. Soil samples were collected yearly from 2005 to 2015 and analysed for heavy metals, arsenic, PCBs and PAHs. The results showed that 21% of chromium, 30% of arsenic, 54% of cadmium, 61% of zinc, 62% of copper, 63% of lead, 87% of nickel, 53% of PCBs and up to 73% of PAHs were removed from the soil after 10 years of S. viminalis treatment. After just 1 year of Salix cultivation, a significant decrease was observed in most of the contaminants in the soil. The reduction in contaminants was linear at first but slowed down after a few years. The number of years prior to a slow-down in rate of removal differed between the contaminants. This study concludes that S. viminalis can be used for the phytoremediation of contaminated industrial soil and that the rate of decontamination differs between substances.

Although hunting is declining in western countries, the number of people taking the hunting exam in Sweden are stable, and new demographic groups are becoming hunters. Through interviews done in Sweden with both new and experienced hunters, as well as focus groups with young hunters at agricultural colleges, we investigate how they navigate praxis and ethical frameworks taught in hunting. Using theories on moral learning, as well as Walzer's thick and thin moral argument, we contrast the views of these young hunters with the ethical principles outlined in the educational literature for the hunting exam. We then present how young hunters reasoned around issues regarding hunting ethics, animal welfare and the place of hunting in modern society, both inside and outside the classroom. The young hunters we spoke to acted as moderators of modern trends in hunting, often bringing 'destabilising' influences like social media and female hunters. Young hunters are enculturated into traditional hunting structures and, in the process, caught in a dialectic between modern influences and traditional hunting culture. Our findings highlight challenges such as 'false consensus' and 'ethical trade-offs' in the learning of hunting ethics, which emerge potentially due to a lack of space for deliberation on hunting ethics.

An erosion of indigenous and traditional foods in the Global South has dramatically changed the global food system in the last 50 years. Reinvigorating these crops and the agro-biodiversity that they represent could provide benefits for healthier and more sustainable food systems. In South Africa, it has been proposed that studying indigenous plants more extensively and focussing on innovation to include them as mainstream foods on people's plates could improve food and nutrition security. With this background, this paper aims to contribute to addressing this challenge by researching sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to identify the opportunities for innovating around sorghum as a healthy food and resilient crop. The paper traces sorghum through various encounters across the South African food system. The results point at clear areas where policy interventions could bolster the sorghum value chain. These include zero-rating VAT on sorghum products, investing more extensively in research and marketing across diverse stakeholders, raising awareness about the health benefits of sorghum and using public procurement as a way of instigating a market for novel sorghum products. The outcomes of a successful sorghum innovation programme could improve smallholder farmers' livelihoods, make a healthy food more accessible to South Africans and develop a local market for innovative products that utilize a crop that is resilient to projected climatic changes.

Japanese seafood market has witnessed a slow but steadfast increase in the amount of certified seafood circulated on the market despite the fact that there are few incentives to apply for certification schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). This is because it is difficult for the producers to reap benefits from the price premium as the retailers are unwilling to charge the consumers with a higher price for the certified seafood; at the same time, there are no sourcing codes set by the retailers to ban the access of uncertified seafood. By conducting semi-structured interviews with the applicants of MSC and ASC, this study reveals the motivation of the applicants such as the desire of producers to differentiate their seafood products from similar products on the market and to establish stable distribution channels with large retailers. We argue that this type of motivation poses a unique challenge in promoting sustainable seafood in Japan, that is the certified product needs to remain a small proportion of circulated seafood products.

The objective of this study is to analyze the energy use efficiency and carbon footprint of irrigated wheat systems in different Iranian provinces. The authors resort to the k-means clustering technique to fulfil the said objective. The empirical results reveal that the average total input energy (59.5 GJ ha−1) is higher than the average energy output (45.82 GJ ha−1) from wheat production, resulting in an average energy efficiency of 0.77, thus rendering the production of irrigated wheat in Iran energy-inefficient on average. Among the thirty wheat-producing Iranian provinces considered in this analysis, only six—East Azerbaijan, Golestan, Ardabil, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Alborz, and West Azerbaijan—register an energy use efficiency greater than unity. The average total of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from irrigated wheat is 2243.54 kg CO2-eq ha−1 (with electricity and diesel fuel contributing 52.4% and 29.4%, respectively). The authors categorize the clusters into five groups ranging from sustainable to unsustainable. Five of the six provinces referred to earlier fall into the ‘sustainable’ category, with Bushehr being the sixth. The wheat production units in the ‘sustainable’ category can serve as a benchmark for the clusters in the other categories, which can move up the ladder of sustainability. The authors also recommend measures that policymakers can undertake to ensure the sustainable development of wheat production in Iran, fulfilling the social imperative of food self-sufficiency while truncating the environmental footprint and ensuring economic feasibility.

The spiral of violence in the Sahel is threatening to engulf the biosphere reserve in the cross-border territory shared by Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger. The rising violence is causing massive displacement and all three countries should respond jointly by mobilising and coordinating state armed forces to protect affected populations. But a joint military response is not enough. The three states should also collaborate to address the root causes of the insecurity: the land and pastoralism crisis; inconsistency in the distribution of forest resources; and a poorly integrated approach to managing the biosphere reserve.

Apart from being a humanitarian tragedy, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also emerged as an exogenous shock to global food supply chains, with severe consequences for many African countries in particular. Four months into the invasion, we can see three main threats to food security in Africa: a disruption to energy markets and shipping routes; a shortage of fertilizers; and the negative ‘third-party’ effects of sanctions imposed on and by Russia.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has emerged as an exogenous shock to global food supply chains, which foreshadows worrying impacts on Africa’s food security and nutrition, and threaten to derail national and global efforts to end hunger and poverty and to achieve sustainable development goals on the continent. This article provides an early assessment of the implications of the invasion for Africa’s food supply chains and food security. Two particularly aggravating factors, which explain the current and likely future impact of the invasion on Africa’s food security are discussed: the timing of the invasion and the two parties involved in the conflict. The article underlines four major channels by which the invasion disrupts African food supply chains: energy markets and shipping routes, availability and prices of agricultural production inputs, domestic food price inflation, and trade sanctions and other financial measures. In addition, the article considers the risk of social and political unrest that disruption to food supply chains and spikes in domestic food prices may inflame. Finally, the paper briefly discusses options for short- and long-term responses by African governments and their development partners to mitigate the repercussions of the conflict on food supply chains, boost food and nutrition security, and build resilience of Africa’s food systems

Background: The global food system is causing considerable environmental harm. A transition towards more sustainable consumption is needed. Targeted public policy interventions are crucial for stimulating such transition. While there is extensive research about the promotion of more environmentally sustainable food consumption, this knowledge is scattered across different sources. This systematic map aims to collate and describe the available evidence on public policy interventions such as laws, directives, taxes and information campaigns, for achieving sustainable food consumption patterns. Methods: We will search bibliographic databases, specialist websites, Google Scholar and bibliographies of relevant reviews. Searches for academic literature will be performed in English, while searches for grey literature will be performed in English, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. Screening, including consistency checking exercises, will be done at two levels: title and abstract, and full text. We will use machine learning algorithms to support screening at the title and abstract level. Coding and meta-data extraction will include bibliographic information, policy details and context, and measured environmental outcome(s). The evidence base will be summarised narratively using tables and graphs and presented as an online interactive searchable database and a website that will allow for visualisation, filtering and exploring systematic map findings, knowledge gaps and clusters.

Det finns många olika typer av landsbygder och därmed olika förutsättningar för den kommunala planeringen och utvecklingsarbetet. Denna uppsats syftar därför till att undersöka hur två landsbygdskommuner med olika förutsättningar – med och utan dominerande besöksnäring – planerar och utvecklar sin landsbygd. Uppsatsen baseras på två fallstudier. Den ena är en fallstudie av Vetlanda kommun och den andra av Rättviks kommun, där Vetlanda är en industrikommun och Rättviks kommun har dominerande besöksnäring., There are different kinds of rural areas and by that there are also different conditions for the municipal planning and development. This essay aims to investigate how two rural municipalities with different conditions, in this case with or without tourism as its largest industry, plan and develop their rural areas. The essay is based on two case studies. One case study of the municipality of Vetlanda and one case study of the municipality of Rättviks, where Vetlanda is an industrial municipality and Rättvik is the municipality with tourism as its dominating industry.

Background: Over the last 30 years, Sweden's agricultural industry has changed significantly, with land prices rising and the number of agricultural firms steadily declining as they are replaced by larger farms. In the near future, there will be a considerable increase in the number of ownership transfers initiated in Sweden, this since in 2020 one-third of agricultural entrepreneurs with sole proprietorships were 65 or older. Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to identify factors influencing family farm succession intentions, as well as (2) to address the theoretical deficit within family farm research by establishing the two implicit economic and emotional paradigms with a theoretical foundation, and ultimately contribute towards determining which theoretical approach is best for explaining succession in family farms. Method: The researchers used a positivist research philosophy in conjunction with a deductive research approach. The quantitative technique was utilized to collect data, with the researchers employing a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to Swedish farmers. Pearson correlation and binary logistic regression tests were used to further analyze the data. Conclusion: The findings show that family farm exposure is significant for intra-family succession in Swedish family farms; a factor derived from intergenerational solidarity theory. This implies that a theory from another domain is applicable to family farm research, and that the emotional perspective has a greater influence on farmer succession intentions than the economic perspective.

The discovery of oil in the North Albertine Rift Landscape of Uganda has increased pressure on land andheightened the potential for resource use conflict. In this article, we focus on changing land use dynamics as oilextraction unfolds in a new resource frontier. We ask how the development of the nascent oil industry will affectland use dynamics, including land use conflicts. This leads us to identify the land use change already arising andto use this as the basis for participatory modelling of projected change. Given they are dominant forms of landuse, agriculture and forestry are central to our analysis. Design of the methodology combined remote sensingwith innovative modelling incorporating participatory development methods. This facilitated insight into projected land use patterns, and specifically relationships between small-scale food production, commercial sugarcane production, and forestry conservation adjacent to settlement areas. Our data show that ill–defined landboundaries and an aggressive sugarcane out-grower scheme are avenues for so-called land grabbing. Modellingscenarios under both the status quo and under oil extraction suggest the land area covered by sugarcane production will increase at the expense of food crop farming. Given a context where forestry conservation is animportant form of land use, we also consider the implications of local agricultural change on land reserved forconservation. Overall, our modelling indicates that in accounting for land use change within the resource frontierassociated with oil extraction, there needs to be insight into the intricate interconnections between differentforms of rural land use as future change unfolds. Understanding how oil extraction effects rural land use patternsholds relevance for planning in contexts of the Global South where new oil industries are emerging. Innovativemethodologies for teasing out these complex land use dynamics can aid planning that seeks to anticipate andreduce land use confli

Since 1750, human emissions of greenhouse gases have created a temperature increase, affecting the whole world. Diatoms, single-celled microscopic algae that lives in waters all over the world, have different environmental preferences such as the water depth at which the thrive, salinity, nutrients, pH-values and more. Diatoms also responds quickly to changing circumstances, which makes the suitable as environmental indicators. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the abundance and composition of diatoms has changed during the last 200 years in lake Ensjön, located just south of Norrköping, and to relate those changes both to climate change and known events and environmental factors in the area. The survey is conducted by subsampling sediment cores from which each diatom sample was prepared in accordance with the scheme of Battarbee (1984). The diatoms in the samples were counted under a microscope and the results were analyzed and related to the Cyclotella-Aulacoseira-Fragilaria-theory (CAF) and documented historical events in the local environment. The result of the analysis shows that the composition and abundance of diatoms has changed during the last 200 years, and that this change is due to both climate change (temperature and precipitation increase) and the land-use history of Ensjön. The cahnges in composition of Aulacoseira spp. and Cyclotella spp., where Aulacoseira spp. is expected to decrease, and Cyclotella spp. is expected to increase with a rising temperature, match the CAF-theory for the most part. The change in composition also coincides with several documented environmental factors in the area, especially the change in use of fertilizers and herbicides in agriculture., Människans utsläpp av växthusgaser har sedan år 1750 skapat en temperaturökning som går allt snabbare, och påverkar hela världen. Kiselalger, encelliga mikroskopiska alger som lever i vatten över hela världen, har olika miljöpreferenser såsom bland annat på vilket vattendjup de trivs, optimal halt av salt, näringsvärden, pH-värden, samt reagerar snabbt på förändrade omständigheter, vilket gör dem lämpliga som miljöindikatorer. Syftet med studien är att studera förändringar i kiselalgernas sammansättning under de senaste 200 åren i den lilla sjön Ensjön belägen något söder om Norrköping och att relatera dessa förändringar till dokumenterade händelser och miljöfaktorer i sjöns avrinningsområde samt till de pågående klimatförändringarna. Undersökningen är utförd genom provtagning av sedimentkärnor från vilka prover preparerades enligt Battarbees (1984) flödesschema. Proverna av kiselalger räknades under mikroskop och sammansättningen analyserades utifrån teorin Cyclotella-Aulacoseira-Fragilaria (CAF) och kända historiska händelser i närmiljön. Analysresultatet visade att kiselalgssammansättningen har förändrats under de senaste 200 åren, och att denna förändring sannolikt kan kopplas både till klimatförändringar (en ökad temperatur) och Ensjöns markanvändningshistoria. Förändringen hos Aulacoseira spp. och Cyclotella spp. följer till stor del CAF-teorin om att det första släktet skulle minska och det andra skulle öka vid en temperaturökning. Vid flera tillfällen sammanfaller förändringar i kiselalgssammansättningen med kända miljöfaktorer i närmiljön, främst i samband med utvecklingen i användningen av mineralgödsel och växtskyddsmedel.

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture (SSFA) provide livelihoods for over 100 million people and sustenance for -1 billion people, particularly in the Global South. Aquatic foods are distributed through diverse supply chains, with the potential to be highly adaptable to stresses and shocks, but face a growing range of threats and adaptive challenges. Contemporary governance assumes homogeneity in SSFA despite the diverse nature of this sector. Here we use SSFA actor profiles to capture the key dimensions and dynamism of SSFA diversity, reviewing contemporary threats and exploring opportunities for the SSFA sector. The heuristic framework can inform adaptive governance actions supporting the diversity and vital roles of SSFA in food systems, and in the health and livelihoods of nutritionally vulnerable people-supporting their viability through appropriate policies whilst fostering equitable and sustainable food systems.

Sustainable food systems require the integration of and alignment between recommendations for food and land use practices, as well as an understanding of the political economy context and identification of entry points for change. We propose a food systems transformation framework that takes these elements into account and links long-term goals with short-term measures and policies, ultimately guiding the decomposition of transformation pathways into concrete steps. Taking the transition to healthier and more sustainable diets as an example, we underscore the centrality of social inclusion to the food systems transformation debate. Addressing trade-offs between the environment, health and inclusion in the quest for sustainable food systems requires integrated and coherent policies. This Perspective proposes a food systems transformation framework that brings these elements together and enables the design of concrete development pathways for food sustainability.

Torrefierad GROT kan bidra till en kolsänka i trädgårdsjordar genom att andelen torv kan minskas i substratblandningen som säljs till kunden. Eftersom det finns energivinster med kortare torrefiering så fanns intresse av att undersöka om grönsaker har olika tillväxt i material som torrefierats under längre eller kortare tid. RISE fick i uppdrag av Sveaskog att göra ett försök där odling i GROT med två olika torrefieringsgrad (skillnad i uppehållstid) jämfördes med vanlig grönsaksjord som säljs av Econova. De tre odlingssubstraten som ingick i försöket iordningsställdes genom att 10 vikts-% av GROT1, GROT2 respektive ljus torv blandades in i Econovas grönsaksjord. Modellväxten var Romansallad (Lactuca Sativa ’var. Romana’) och försöket utfördes under tre månader i odlingskammare med kontrollerad temperatur (D: 20°C/ N: 15°C), luftfuktighet (Rh 70%), ljusexponering (15 h) och markfukt (70% WHC) under perioden 14/7 - 15/9 2020. Fullgödsling tillsattes i form av näringslösning vid fyra tillfällen. Innan skörd gjordes ett smaktest där två testpersoner bedömde salladen i varje kruka. Salladens biomassa mättes som färskvikt och torrvikt efter skörd. Torkning gjordes i 105°C i tre dygn. Inga signifikanta skillnader uppmättes med avseende på smaktest, färskvikt och torrvikt. Slutsatsen från försöket är att det uppmättes ingen signifikant försämring av tillväxten när 10 vikts% byttes ut från torv till GROT. Det syntes ingen signifikant skillnad mellan de olika torrefieringsgraderna, vilket indikerar att det finns möjliga energibesparingar genom att använda en kortare uppehållstid i pyrolysreaktorn., Torrefied forest residues can contribute to a carbon sink in garden soils by reducing the proportion of peat in the substrate mixture sold to the customer. Since there are energy gains with shorter torrefaction, there was interest in investigating whether vegetables have different growth pattern in substrate mixtures with residues that have been torrefied for a longer or shorter time. RISE was commissioned by Sveaskog to make an experiment where cultivation in forest residues with two different degrees of torrefaction (difference in residence time) was compared with ordinary vegetable soil sold by Econova. The three growing media included in the experiment were prepared by mixing 10% by weight of GROT1, GROT2 and light peat, respectively, into Econova's vegetable soil. The model plant was Roman lettuce (Lactuca Sativa 'var. Romana') and the experiment was carried out for three months in cultivation chambers with controlled temperature (D: 20 °C / N: 15 °C), humidity (Rh 70%), light exposure (15 h) and soil moisture (70% WHC) during the period 14/7 - 15/9 2020. Fertilisation was added in the form of nutrient solution on four occasions. Before harvest, a taste test was performed where two test persons assessed the salad in each pot. The biomass of the salad was measured as fresh weight and dry weight after harvest. Drying was done at 105 ° C for three days. No significant differences were measured with respect to taste test, fresh weight and dry weight. The conclusion from the experiment is that no significant deterioration of the growth was measured when 10% by weight was changed from peat to torrefied forest residue. There was no significant difference between the degrees of torrefaction, which indicates that there are possible energy savings by using a shorter residence time in the pyrolysis reactor., Nedbrytningsförsök av torrefierad GROT och biokol

Både torrefierad och pyrolyserad GROT kan ge upphov till långsiktiga kolsänkor i trädgårdsjordar baserad på torv. Pyrolys kräver betydligt högre temperatur än torrefiering så det finns anledning att testa om det torrefierade materialet har de egenskaper som efterfrågas. RISE fick i uppdrag av Sveaskog att göra ett försök där GROT med två olika torrefieringsgrad (skillnad i uppehållstid) jämfördes med biokol. Substraten blandades till 50 % med trädgårdsjord som tillhandahölls av Econova. Jordinkuberingen utfördes i 20°C under 6 månader med konstant fukt på 70% vattenhållandförmåga. Substratblandningarna analyserades med avseende på total kol, totalkväve, askhalt och pH. Både kol och kväve emitterades i större utsträckning från biokolsblandningen i förhållande till askhalten. Vattenhållandeförmågan och pH-värdet var högre i biokolssubstratet jämfört med torrefierad GROT. Avdunstningen var högre från torrefierad GROT jämfört med biokol. Resultatet pekade på en ökad mikrobiell aktivitet i blandningen med biokol och det antas ha initierat en mineralisering av det torvrika odlingssubstratet. Resultatet indikerar att torrefierad GROT kan användas som en kolsänka i substratblandningar, men att biokol aktiverar det mikrobiella livet i substratet på ett annorlunda sätt. En anledning till att biokol kan ge upphov till en sådan effekt är att det har ett högre pH än torrefierad GROT då den basiska mineralhalten är högre på grund av högre förbränningstemperatur i pyrolysen., Both torrefied and pyrolysed forest residues can create long-term carbon sinks in garden soils based on peat. Pyrolysis requires a significantly higher temperature than torrefaction, and there would thus be an advantage if the required properties can be achieved with torrefied material. RISE was contracted by Sveaskog to conduct an experiment in which forest residues with two different degrees of torrefaction (difference in residence time) was compared with biochar. The substrates were mixed to 50% with garden soil provided by Econova. The soil incubation was performed at 20 °C for 6 months with constant soil humidity at 70% water holding capacity. The substrate mixtures were analysed for total carbon, total nitrogen, ash content and pH. Both carbon and nitrogen were emitted to a greater extent from the biochar mixture when compared to the ash content. The water holding capacity and the pH was higher in the biochar mix compared to the torrefied forest residual substate mix. The evaporation was elevated from the torrefied material, compared to the biochar. The result points to an increased microbial activity in the mixture with biochar and it is believed to have initiated a mineralisation of the peat-rich culture medium. The results indicate that torrefied forest residue can be used as a carbon sink in substrate mixtures, but that biochar activates the microbial life in the substrate in a different way. One reason why biochar can give rise to such an effect is that it had a higher pH than the torrefied forest residues, as the alkaline mineral content is higher, due to a higher combustion temperature in the pyrolysis., Växtodlingsförsök med torrefierad GROT från Sveaskog

Repeated exposure can change the perceptual and hedonic features of flavor. Associative learning during which a flavor's odor component is affected by co-exposure with taste is thought to be central in this process. However, changes can also arise due to exposure to the odor in itself. The aim of this study was to dissociate effects of associative learning from effects of exposure without taste by repeatedly presenting one odor together with sucrose and a second odor alone. Sixty individuals attended two testing sessions separated by a 5-day Exposure Phase during which the stimuli were presented as flavorants in chewing gums that were chewed three times daily. Ratings of odor sweetness, odor pleasantness, odor intensity enhancement by taste, and odor referral to the mouth were collected at both sessions. Consistent with the notion that food preferences are modulated by exposure, odor pleasantness increased between the sessions independently of whether the odor (basil or orange flower) had been presented with or without sucrose. However, we found no evidence of associative learning in any of the tasks. In addition, exploratory equivalence tests suggested that these effects were either absent or insignificant in magnitude. Taken together, our results suggest that the hypothesized effects of associative learning are either smaller than previously thought or highly dependent on the experimental setting. Future studies are needed to evaluate the relative support for these explanations and, if experimental conditions can be identified that reliably produce such effects, to identify factors that regulate the formation of new odor-taste associations.

Ecosystem services are essential to human well-being. Different mechanisms modify people's access to the benefits from ecosystem services, but who benefits from which services, and the underlying factors that shape such variability, often remain unclear. To address this, we surveyed current and past ecosystem service flows from forest and farmland into rural Ethiopian households. After disaggregating beneficiary groups, we explored current and past mechanisms that impeded or facilitated their access. We found five groups of current ecosystem service beneficiaries that received varying degrees of service flows from forest and farmland. Important access barriers were economic problems and shortage of land, particularly for worse-off households, and wildlife damage and labour shortage. Over time, flows from forest and those directly benefiting human well-being (e.g. food, energy) were perceived to have declined, especially for worse-off groups. In contrast, access to emerging market-oriented services with indirect benefits (such as cash crops) increased, but especially so for better-off groups who capitalised on market opportunities and agricultural intensification. Forest cover loss and protection caused decreased access across groups. Identifying group-specific access problems and trajectories, removing economic, land- and labour-related barriers, and addressing environmental challenges, are important to facilitate equitable sharing of the benefits of rural ecosystems.

Större vägar och järnvägar utgör barriärer för många djurarter och människors aktiviteter och det anses vara kostnadseffektivt att anlägga broar eller portar som löser en kombination av flera målgruppers passagebehov. En sådan så kallad multifunktionell passage måste dock planeras väl, så att önskade funktioner för de utpekade målgrupperna faktiskt upprätthålls. Detta temablad beskriver när det kan vara lämpligt med multifunktionella passager och när det är mindre lämpligt. I temabladet beskrivs även hur en passage ska utformas för att uppnå bästa funktion. Temabladet bygger på resultat från FOI-projekt med samma namn och där en slutrapport publicerades; Jägerbrand, A. K. (2020). Multifunktionella passager för väg och järnväg – samordnade och säkra passager för faunan och andra intressen. Calluna AB, Samordning av säkra passager för olika intressen och faunan

We studied the potential of zebra mussel farming for nutrient retention in a eutrophic lake. Duplicate experimental long-line cultivation units were deployed and mussel growth and nutrient retention were quantified after 28 months. Mussels grew well at shallow water depth (<3 m) and our 625 m(2) (lake area) experimental units produced 507 and 730 kg dry biomass, respectively, of which 94% were shells. These yields corresponded to an average retention of 92.7 +/- 23.1 kg C, 6.1 +/- 0.68 kg N, and 0.43 +/- 0.04 kg P retention, or 742 kg C, 49 kg N, and 3.5 kg P for a full-size (0.5 ha) mussel farm. We estimate that concentrating the long-lines to a depth of 2.5 m would probably have doubled these yields, based on the differences in mussel growth among depths. We further estimate that a full-size cultivation unit (0.5 ha) thus could compensate for the annual total-P run-off from 23 ha, or the biologically available P from approximately 49 ha of agricultural soils. As traditional measures have proven insufficient, decision-makers need to facilitate novel approaches to mitigate the negative effects of cultural eutrophication. We envision that zebra mussel farming, within their invaded range, provides a promising approach to invert nutrient losses in lakes and coastal lagoons.

Större vägar och järnvägar utgör barriärer för många djurarter och människors aktiviteter och det anses vara kostnadseffektivt att anlägga broar eller portar som löser en kombination av flera målgruppers passagebehov. En sådan så kallad multifunktionell passage måste dock planeras väl, så att önskade funktioner för de utpekade målgrupperna faktiskt upprätthålls. Detta temablad beskriver när det kan vara lämpligt med multifunktionella passager och när det är mindre lämpligt. I temabladet beskrivs även hur en passage ska utformas för att uppnå bästa funktion. Temabladet bygger på resultat från FOI-projekt med samma namn och där en slutrapport publicerades; Jägerbrand, A. K. (2020). Multifunktionella passager för väg och järnväg – samordnade och säkra passager för faunan och andra intressen. Calluna AB, Samordning av säkra passager för olika intressen och faunan

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects on innovation of environmental regulations aimed at reducing eutrophication. We focus on innovations in nitrogen and phosphorus management technology in the wastewater treatment sector and the agricultural sector. Patent data from Sweden over a 50-year period is used as a measure of innovation. We estimate a negative binomial regression model in a reduced form and by the use of control-functions, taking into account environmental regulation as well as more general determinants of innovation. Our results suggest that increased regulation has induced innovation in the wastewater treatment sector, both in the long and short run. The short-run effect was estimated to 40-70% in the years immediately following the introduction of new environmental regulations. A corresponding effect could not be identified in the agricultural sector. The difference between the sectors is likely explained by differences in policy design, where performance standards are applied in the wastewater sector, while design standards and technology-specific subsidies dominate in the agricultural sector.