Hilde Halland
Research Scientist
Abstract
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Authors
Hilde HallandAbstract
Sustainability is proposed as a solution to the many negative consequences of modern agriculture. However, although science and policy have aimed for sustainability for more than two decades, it seems that we are not making enough progress. This is due to the complexities of the sustainability concept and that we need to better understand how we can create change. In seeing sustainability as a learning process, this thesis aims to understand how to enhance farm sustainability in Arctic Norway. This is achieved by combining four research rationales: stakeholders’ perspectives, sustainability assessments, sustainability learning, and participatory approaches. I use a case study strategy involving farms in Arctic Norway. By applying a multimethod qualitative approach, I explore the topic through three empirical papers wherein stakeholder participation plays a prominent role. By discussing the findings, I conceptualize farm sustainability as a long-term and multilevel learning process. To achieve farm sustainability, several steps must be aligned: there must be a purpose for the process, various stakeholders must take part, we must know what to learn, a transdisciplinary methodology must be used, and the process should be flexible. In addition, the process must be embedded in the very way of farming. The relevance of these findings is that farm sustainability must be aligned with change toward improved sustainability in society at large. Context plays a major role in what, why, and how we can learn, as well as in who we can learn with. Therefore, farm sustainability as a learning process must be translated to fit the empirical context. This thesis contributes to theory development in the field of agricultural sustainability. Furthermore, it deepens our understanding of how values and context influence farm sustainability, demonstrates the relevance of combining sustainability assessments with a learning process, and broadens our understanding of sustainability learning in agriculture. In combining ‘sustainability as a theory’ and ‘sustainability as a practice’, lies the key to farm sustainability in Arctic Norway.
Abstract
Sustainability learning is gaining popularity as an important field within sustainability research, where farm sustainability can be understood as a learning process. In this study, we seek to reveal the sustainability learning process of farmers, utilizing a framework distinguishing contextual factors (where? and when?), knowledge (what?), motivation (why?), and process (how?). The article presents a participatory inquiry mixed-methods approach, utilizing results from sustainability assessments on five farms with the SMART-farm tool as a unifying starting point for further discussions on sustainability learning in farmers' interviews and stakeholder workshops. Empirically the study is set in the horticultural production in Arctic Norway, where few studies on sustainability have been undertaken. The study shows how both the complexity of the concept of farm sustainability and contextual factors influence the sustainability learning process, for instance by giving rise to a vast number of conflicting issues while working toward farm sustainability. The sustainability learning process is found to be predominantly a social learning process. The theoretic contribution of the study lies in its novel framework that can be used to reveal important aspects of the sustainability learning process, as well as to contribute to the literature on how to proceed from sustainability assessments to implementation. A key finding from the study is that farmers will require continuous assistance in their processes toward farm sustainability, but for this to be possible, knowledge, sources of knowledge, and learning platforms for holistic sustainability need to be established.
Abstract
Aiming for sustainable development of food value chains several assessment methods are developed, however it seems challenging to go from assessment to actual change. A solution proposed is increased stakeholder involvement also in the assessment phase. The perspective on sustainability varies depending on several variables, among which the geographical context where the producers are located. The perspective of the latter is of paramount importance as these are the actors on who, ultimately, possible changes towards sustainability depend. In this article, we applied a qualitative approach to investigate the farmers’ perspective on sustainability, in the horticultural production in Arctic Norway. We found that many of the premises for sustainable food production are present. The main challenges are lack of long-term planning, dependency of rented land as well as fluctuating yield and income. Producer’s network is essential for development as well as introduction of technical improvements. The study shows the importance of contextualisation of sustainability, as well as pointing at concerns about trade-offs between sustainability dimensions and themes in the proposed model. The research contributes to method development by demonstrating how a qualitative approach is a fruitful method to unravel the complexities of sustainability in food production.
Authors
David Natcher Ingrid Kvalvik Olafur Reykdal Kristin Beate Hansen Florent Govaerts Silje Elde Bjørg Helen Nøstvold Rune Rødbotten Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Hilde Halland Eivind Uleberg Jón Árnason Páll Gunnar Pálsson Rakel Halldórsdóttir Óli Þór Hilmarsson Gunnar Þórðarson Þóra ValsdóttirAbstract
In 2016, the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) endorsed The Arctic as a Food Producing Region research project. Involving research teams from Iceland, Norway, Canada, Greenland, and Russia, the objective of the project was to assess the potential for increased production and added value of foods originating from the Arctic, with the overarching aim of improving food security, while enhancing the social and economic conditions of Arctic communities. Although the Arctic was recognised as an important food-producing region, there was a shared sense that the Arctic was not meeting its full potential, either in terms of satisfying local food needs or for maximising its domestic or international export potential. Yet beyond speculation, much of which was informed by individual or anecdotal experience, there was little understanding of the current production capacities of Arctic food sectors or where opportunities may lie for sustainable growth. The aim of the project was, therefore, threefold: (1) complete an inventory of the current levels of Arctic food production in terms of products, volumes, revenues; (2) identify the constraints and opportunities for increased production value-added opportunities; and (3) identify potential pathways and new value chains for expanding Arctic food production and distribution opportunities. .............
Abstract
This study aims to identify some of the critically important factors in the sustainability of microbreweries in peripheral northern areas, focusing on the entrepreneurs’ understanding of sustainability. Theoretically, this study adopts the perspective of service-dominant logic on value. Methodologically, it uses an action-research approach and conducts in-depth interviews with four entrepreneurs. The findings suggest that the entrepreneurs reflect on several relevant issues in line with sustainability thinking. The perception of sustainability, especially environmental sustainability, is one subject that the entrepreneurs perceive and sometimes in conflict with the economic sustainability of their businesses. Constraints recognized include the lack of strategic planning and explicit discussions about sustainability with potential stakeholders. A critically important factor for the sustainability of microbreweries is the need for entrepreneurs to engage in wider discussions about the conceptual and practical aspects of sustainability, especially with government and community bodies.
Authors
Hilde Halland Peter Martin Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Sæmundur Sveinsson Rólvur Djurhuus Mette Thomsen John Wishart Ólafur ReykdalAbstract
Transnational cooperation is a common strategy for addressing research and development (R&D) issues resulting from similar challenges that cut across administrative borders. Value chains for food and drinks are complex, and transdisciplinary work is recognised as a method for solving complex issues. The Northern Cereals project ran from 2015 to 2018, and its goal was to increase cereal production and the value of grain products in four regions in the Northern Periphery programme area. The project included both R&D, but the main emphasis was on development, and was carried out by transdisciplinary cooperation between R&D partners and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By reviewing the project’s methods, outcomes and composition, we discuss if a framework of transnational and transdisciplinary cooperation can help to develop the value chain from local barley to beer. We found that transnational cooperation was achieved successfully, that stakeholder involvement was crucial, but that academic disciplines such as marketing and innovation could have been included. In addition, we recognised that much work remains to further increase cereal production and the use of local grain in the Northern Periphery region, but believe that this project has laid a good foundation for further progress.
Authors
Mette Thomsen Trude Wicklund Rune Andreassen Peter Martin Hilde Halland Magnus Göransson Morten Rasmussen Olafur ReykdalAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
David Natcher Yang Yang Jill Hobbs Kristin Beate Hansen Florent Govaerts Silje Elde Ingrid Kvalvik Bjørg Helen Nøstvold Rune Rødbotten Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Hilde Halland Eivind Uleberg Ólafur Reykdal Jón Árnason Páll Gunnar Pálsson Rakel Halldórsdóttir Óli Þór Hilmarsson Gunnar Þórðarson Þóra ValsdóttirAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Mette Thomsen Trude Wicklund Rune Andreassen Peter Martin Hilde Halland Magnus Göransson Morten RasmussenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Silje Elde Ingrid Kvalvik Bjørg Helen Nøstvold Rune Rødbotten Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Hilde Halland Eivind Uleberg Ólafur Reykdal Jón Árnason Páll Gunnar Pálsson Rakel Halldórsdóttir Óli Þór Hilmarsson Gunnar Þórðarson Þóra Valsdóttir Rebekka Knudsen David Natcher Daria SidorovaAbstract
The aim of the "Arctic as a food producing region" - project is to assess the potential for increased production and added value of food from the Arctic region, with the overarching aim of improving economic and social conditions of Arctic communities. This report is the output from the first phase of the project, providing a description of the main food production and examples of conditions for food production in the Arctic areas of the countries involved. This will form the basis for further analysis of opportunities, driving forces and barriers for further development of arctic food production, in the next phase of the project. The project has participation from Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Russia, and is endorsed by the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).
Authors
Eivind Uleberg Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Hilde Halland Bjørg Helen Nøstvold Rune Rødbotten Ingrid KvalvikAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Peter Martin Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Jens Ivan í Gerdinum Hilde Halland Jonatan Hermannsson Vanessa Kavanagh Katrin MacKenzie Olafur Reykdal Joanne Russell Saemundur Sveinsson Mette Thomsen John WishartAbstract
Although grass dominates most agricultural systems in the North Atlantic region (NAR), spring barley is the most important cereal and is used for animal feed and food and drink products. Recent changes in climate have resulted in warmer conditions across the NAR which have major implications for crop production. In this paper, we investigate the thermal requirement of spring barley in the region and use the results to examine the effects of recent trends in temperature and rainfall on barley cultivation, based on 11 regional meteorological sites. At these sites, between 1975 and 2015, we found significant warming trends for several months of the cropping season and significant trends for increases in the cropping season degree days (CSDD). In recent years, this has resulted in an increased proportion of years when the estimated minimum thermal requirement for barley has been met at sites above about 60°N. However, annual variations in CSDD are large and years still occur at these sites where this is insufficient. While warming could potentially allow an earlier start and later end to the cropping season, it is likely that high rainfall at maritime sites, and low rainfall at continental sites, will limit the ability of growers to benefit from this. Warming is considered to have been one of the main factors contributing to the large expansion of the area of barley cultivated in Iceland since the 1990s.
Abstract
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Abstract
The status of cereal cultivation in Iceland, northern Norway, Faroe Islands, Orkney and Newfoundland has been studied in a project supported by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme (NPA). In Orkney, Iceland and northern Norway cereal cultivation is well established while the Faroe Islands are re-establishing, and Newfoundland is starting, cultivation. The project transfers knowledge between the regions and aims to increase the value of cereal products, indicate new innovative products and increase cultivation of cereals. In this report, the cereal value chain is described to inspire companies and initiators to identify new opportunities and create new jobs. Total cereal grain production in the five regions was about 38,000 tons in 2014 while imports were about 146,000 tons, just for Iceland, Orkney and Newfoundland. The population of the region is about 1.4 million and the annual number of visitors is above 2 million. Considerable amounts of cereal-based products are consumed in the regions. These include many different foods (bakery products, breakfast cereals, snacks, flour, porridges etc.) and beverages (e.g. beer and whisky) and offer many opportunities for using local cereals. Recent trends in the cereal food market are very conducive to the development of new products and greater local production within the project regions. Interest in local food and drinks is increasing and food producers need to respond to increasing demand from visitors. In all of the regions, barley is the most important cereal grown. Barley contains several health-enhancing nutritional components including β-glucan and antioxidants and, with growing awareness of the need for healthy eating, there is increased interest in it as a raw material for the food industry. Barley is also used for the production of malt which is a key ingredient for the production of beer and whisky. The number of microbreweries has grown and they are now found in remote regions. For breweries to distinguish themselves from competitors, product differentiation is becoming increasingly important and an attractive way of doing this is to use local ingredients (barley, malt and herbs). However, in order to utilise local barley for beverage production, it will usually be necessary to develop a local capacity for malting.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered