Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access

Sustainable business models in the Swedish agricultural sector - connecting the farmer and the end-consumer

3^rd International conference on Green Energy and Environment

May 18-19, 2023 | Rome, Italy

Henrik Barth

Halmstad University, Sweden

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl

Abstract :

The agri-food system is facing many changes as well as challenges in order to develop more sustainable solutions. Local and sustainable production enforced by digital resources and adaption provide new opportunities for a sustainable development, but also new challenges for actors along the value chain. The current research aims to provide insights on opportunities and barriers that exist when it comes to connecting farmers and end-consumers. The research focuses on possibilities of Information and communications technologies (ICT) that could provide promising improvements when it comes to access to and sharing of information, traceability, support for decision making, and increased value creation. Additionally, there is a growing consensus that ICT adoption across agri-food value chains could address many of the sustainability goals of the future. For example, the milk and beef cattle value chains face environmental, economic, and societal challenges due to their greenhouse gas emissions, use of antibiotics, increasing concerns about animal welfare, and changing diets of consumers. This study draws on previous research, addressing innovation in value chains that connect farmers and end-consumers. Illustrative case studies from Sweden provide evidence that the local context can be developed into a competitive advantage when using sustainable and digital solutions. The study also draws on findings from a consumer study in Sweden, targeting sustainable shopping habits and interest towards new ways of purchasing food in the future. Results indicate that new sustainable business models can provide sustainable values for both farmers as well as end-consumers, but the traditional value chain need to be evaluated on value adding aspects and traceability along the process. Additionally, the endconsumer indicate an interest to purchase food directly from the farmer, which is considered as an important aspect for better animal health and welfare

Biography :

Henrik Barth is an Associate Professor in innovation sciences, and is currently working with several research projects addressing sustainable business model innovation and specifically the transformation phase from conventional to digital solutions