Browsing by Subject "sustainability"

Research shows that Finnish people could increase the consumption of some domestic fish species. Increased consumption has been calculated to have economic, social, and environmental benefits. The current situation of fish consumption is unsustainable. Academic literature on consumption and food systems emphasizes the importance of a holistic view to sustainability. Environmental sustainability has been emphasized and other dimensions of sustainability have been neglected, regarding policies and regulations of the fish industry. In this study, it is argued that observing the consumer perceptions of sustainability dimensions could help to develop a more sustainable fish industry and consumption patterns. The theoretical framework was formed based on literature review. A three-dimensional view to sustainability was used including social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The relevant factors to measure the importance of the dimensions were formed with previous studies on fish consumption. The research aims to reveal perceptions to sustainability dimensions importance from a consumer interface. The research questions are: Which dimensions of sustainability have importance to consumers regarding fish consumption? Are any of the dimensions and factors involved more important than the others? Are there differences between groups on the perception of the dimensions? The research was carried out as a quantitative online survey and shared on social media platforms. Data (N=107) was analysed with quantitative methods (descriptive statistics, crosstabulation and Kruskal-Wallis’s test). Most participants considered all sustainability dimensions important. Environmental dimension was the most important, and especially the factors of protecting the ecosystems, fish stocks and waterbodies. Between age groups a statistically significant difference was found in the importance of the environmental dimension. The results indicate that Finnish people are willing to consume more domestic fish, and care about the sustainability of fish consumption. This study contributes to the discussion of sustainable fish consumption and provides a new approach on developing more sustainable food systems.

This master's thesis investigated consumers' insights on sustainability, animal welfare, and nutrition-related qualities to increase the attractiveness of red meat. The study focused on Finnish young adult (18 to 35-year-old) flexitarians, who have reduced their red meat consumption and incorporated plant-based proteins into their diets. This study conducted a quantitative analysis through a questionnaire (n=588) and explored consumer dietary behavior, trust in labeling, social pressure, and opinions regarding rational and value-based quality factors through willingness to buy and pay. For Finnish young adult flexitarians, environmental, ethical, and nutritional factors emerge as the most influential aspects when changing dietary behaviors. The effect of social pressure is only mild, but flexitarians do exhibit greater bad conscience for red meat consumption. Domesticity is recognized as an important quality attribute for all respondents in this study. In contrast to other meat-eating consumers, flexitarians perceive plant proteins as healthier alternatives to red meat but still acknowledge its nutritional benefits. Most consumers, especially flexitarians, value ethical production and express willingness to pay more for meat with good animal welfare. Consumers' trust in company-provided sustainability and health-related information about their products is found to be lower than with general packaging information. The study proposes solutions related to carbon footprint and animal welfare labeling among others and emphasizes the significance of objective information and transparency. This master's thesis aids in understanding the quality factors necessary to maintain consumer acceptance of red meat and sheds light on the key drivers prompting consumers to adopt a more plant-based diet. The research guides companies and the meat industry on how to enhance their practices and bolster the attractiveness of red meat for future consumers.

Growing exploitation of natural capital has raised a concern towards Earth’s capability to provide equal benefits for all in the future. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals addressed this issue and set the framework for private and public operators to implement and develop more sustainable solutions. Circular economy and bioeconomy have been presented as models to foster the economy along with sustainability transitions. However, the models have been criticized for taking overall sustainability for granted. As a result, the merged concept, circular bioeconomy, has been introduced to address such sustainability gap. The circular bioeconomy concept implies a more efficient resource management of bio-based renewable resources by combining the concept of circular economy and bioeconomy in strategic management level. These new concept demands both new technological innovations and new business model innovation. This study explores similar and dissimilar patterns in the way Finnish SME propose, create and deliver value through circular bioeconomy business models. The study examines the relation of new concept to sustainability as well. The study was based on qualitative research, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight company managers or owners. The data were categorized into business model components and sustainable business model archetypes. The results revealed that sustainability-oriented business model archetypes vary across the examined companies. Dominant ideas are substituting fossil-based materials and energy with bio-based one, and practices enabled by new technology such as production eco-efficiency. More radical principles were missing, for instance prolonging the material cycle before incineration or solutions to reduce consumer consumption. While environmental value was well covered in the business models of companies, contribution to social value was taken for granted as a narrow outcome of economic and environmental values. As this study concerned the micro level perspective, for further studies would be beneficial to examine the meso and macro level transformation to get a more holistic view on business environment, where companies with circular bio-product innovations operate to reveal implementation barriers for the circular bioeconomy.

The topic of forest fires has gathered a lot of media attention in recent years as it relates closely to climate change and other sustainability issues. The media has an important role in communicating these issues as it affects, how the public percieves them, how different sustainability problems are defined and what kind of solutions are seen plausible. I became interested in how the media represents the issue of forest fires. My aim in this thesis is to find out, how the Colombian news media has framed the Amazon rainforest fires. As my material I used the news articles from the Colombian news media El Tiempo. I definined my timeframe from July 2019 to september 2019 because at that time the news subject was of high interest. After the initial search I went through the articles and left out any irrelevant ones. I was left with 24 news articles. As an analytic tool I utilized qualitative frame analysis guided by Robert Entman´s definition of frames and used ATLAS.ti to make an initial thematic coding. After that I mapped out all the actors that were cited in the news articles and divided them into groups. Using these actor groups, I searched for the frames. There were eight actor groups, politicians and political organizations being the most prominent one. Looking at how these actors talked about the forest fires, two main frames came out: populist and scientific. The populist frame concentrated mainly on Jair Bolsonaro. In this frame there was a lot of nationalist and economic arguments and responsability was directed away from him. There seemed to be a lot of enemies also. The second frame concentrated in deforestation, climate change and the forest fires being a global issue. In this frame international actors used economic and political pressure in order to affect Bolsonaro´s policy solutions. The research showed, how difficult it can be to solve shared global problem and made visible a historical political division between authoritarianism and democracy. An other important notion is the lack of marginalized groups in the news media.

Tieteen- ja politiikanaloilla on viime vuosina esiintynyt kasvavissa määrin mielenkiintoa biotaloustermiä kohtaan. Viime aikoina julkaistuihin poliittisiin dokumentteihin kuuluvat eri valtioiden ja kansainvälisten organisaatioiden kuten Euroopan unionin ja OECD:n biotalousstrategiat. Tähänastinen aiheeseen liittyvä tutkimus on keskittynyt lähinnä eri biotalousstrategioiden sisältöjen tutkimiseen. Lisäksi biotalouden määritelmään ja tulevaisuuteen liittyviä tutkimuksia erityisesti teknologisestä näkökulmasta on tehty jonkin verran. Tutkimuksia biotalouden sosiaalisesta puolesta, kuten sen eri sidosryhmien näkemyksistä biotalouden kehittymiseen ei sen sijaan ole juurikaan tehty. Biotalousstrategioiden onnistuneen toteutuksen varmistamiseksi on tärkeää, että eri sidosryhmät hyväksyvät biotalouskonseptin ja jakavat samansuuntaiset visiot sen tulevaisuudesta. Näin ollen on tärkeää ymmärtää miten eri toimijat käsittävät konseptin ja kuinka se mahdollisesti vaikuttaa heidän tuleviin toimiinsa. Tämä tutkimus auttaa hahmottamaan miten biotalouskonsepti ymmärretään Suomen kuitupohjaisella pakkaussektorilla ja millaisena eri sidosryhmät näkevät tulevaisuuden kehityksen. Tutkimus perustuu kirjallisuuskatsaukseen sekä laadulliseen analyysiin, jota varten on haastateltu 14:ää biotalouden asiantuntijaa. Tutkimus on ensimmäisiä laatuaan, joten sidosryhmät valittiin tarkoituksena kattaa sektori laajasti. Painotus asetettiin kuitenkin teollisuuden edustajille, jotta riittävä ymmärrys tulevaisuuden kehityspoluista liiketoiminnan näkökulmasta olisi mahdollista saavuttaa. Muita sidosryhmiä tutkimuksessa edustivat tutkimus, julkinen hallinto ja kansalaisjärjestöt. Tulokset osoittavat, että, sidosryhmien ymmärrys biotalouskonseptista oli samantapainen. Konseptin taloudelliset motiivit tunnistettiin tärkeäksi tekijäksi, vaikka myös ympäristöön liittyviä kestävyystekijöitä nostettiin laajasti esille. Keskityttäessä tarkemmin joihinkin aiheisiin, haastateltavien mielipiteet alkoivat erota toisistaan. Suurimmat erot hyväksyttävyydessä ja asenteissa löytyivät teollisuuden edustajien ryhmän sekä sen ja muiden sidosryhmien välillä. Teollisuuden edustajien näkemykset ulottuivat optimistisista näkemyksistä erittäin skeptisiin ja turhautuneisiin näkemyksiin biotaloudesta ja sitä kuvailtiinkin usein markkinointiterminä. Kuitenkin eri kestävyystekijöiden huomioiminen koettiin tulevaisuuden kilpailukykyä parantavana tekijänä. Muut sidosryhmät jakoivat positiivisen näkemyksen biotaloudesta sektoreita yhdistävänä konseptina. Tutkimus osoitti, että kaikki sidosryhmät on huomioitava biotalouskonseptin tulevaisuuden kehityksessä. Brändien omistajat koettiin kaikkein potentiaalisimmiksi muutoksen synnyttäjiksi, mutta heidän näkemykset puuttuivat tästä tutkimuksesta. Tutkimus keskittyi biotalouden operatiivisiin toimijoihin, jota voidaan pitää toisena tutkimusta rajoittavana tekijänä, koska se heikentää tutkimuksen luotettavuutta strategisesta näkökulmasta. Lisäksi osassa haastatteluissa ei päästy haastateltavan omien tarkoitusperien yli vaan haastattelut jäivät siltä osin pinnallisiksi, haastateltavien omia asemiaan suojeleviksi.

Social media influencers are called the opinion leaders of our time, as they have a lot of power over what peo- ple think and consume. Various sustainability actors expect that influencers take a strong role in the transfor- mation towards sustainability. In my thesis I examine, how do the reactions of the influencers’ followers and the perceived sense of responsibility and power of the influencer affect the way influencers share content on sustainability. In my research I also consider how different influencers receive differing responses to content related to sustainability. My analysis consists of interviews with six Finnish social media influencers. I conducted 5 semi-structured in- terviews, and received one written answer to the interview questions. I used thematic analysis as the analysis method in my research. The themes that arose from the interview data and from previous research are relation- ality between the influencer and their followers, connection between followers’ reactions and influencers’ sus- tainability content and the perceived sense of power and responsibility of the influencer. Three influencer profiles were created based on the interview data. The profiles describe different types of in- fluencers with different, specific audiences. The profiles demonstrate how different audiences respond to con- tent related to sustainability in different ways, how different influencers share sustainability content in different ways, and how influencers perceive their responsibility in different ways. My research shows that both the reac- tions of the followers and the perceived sense of responsibility of the influencer affect how an influencer shares content on sustainability. According to my research, the influencer's perceived power does not affect content shared on sustainability. This study contributes to the understanding of the issues that affect influencers’ behavior in sharing sustainabil- ity-related content. With this knowledge, it is possible to move closer to understanding whether influencers can be part of the change towards a more sustainable future. shared on sustainability. This study contributes to the understanding of the issues that affect influencers’ behavior in sharing sustainabil- ity-related content. With this knowledge, it is possible to move closer to understanding whether influencers can be part of the change towards a more sustainable future.

The concept of sustainable fashion covers not only the ecological and ethical matters in fashion and textile industries but also the cultural and social affairs, which are equally intertwined in this complex network. Sustainable fashion does not have one explicit or well-established definition; however, many researchers have discussed it from different perspectives. This study provides an overview of the principals, practices, possibilities, and challenges concerning sustainable fashion. It focuses particularly on the practical questions a designer faces. The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: What kind of outlooks and practices are included in sustainable fashion? How could the principles of sustainable fashion be integrated into designing and making clothes? The qualitative study was carried out by using the Grounded Theory method. Data consisted mainly of academic literature and communication with designers who practice sustainable fashion. In addition to these, several websites and journalistic articles were used. The data was analyzed by identifying and categorizing relevant concepts using the constant comparative method, i.e. examining the internal consistency of each category. The study established a core category, around which all other categories are integrated. The emerged concepts were organized into a model that pieces together different ideas about sustainable fashion, namely, when the principles of sustainable development are applied to fashion practices. The category named Considered Take and Return is the core of the model. It consists of various design philosophies that form the basis of design practice, and thus it relates to all other categories. It is framed by the category of Attachment and Appreciation, which reflects the importance of sentiment in design practice, for example the significance of aesthetics. The categories especially linked to fashion are Materials, Treatments of Fabrics and Production Methods. The categories closely connected with sustainable development are Saving Resources, Societal Implications, and Information Transparency. While the model depicts separate categories, the different segments are in close interaction. The objective of sustainable fashion is holistic and requires all of its sections to be taken into account.

The aim of this study is to understand Home Economics teachers’ beliefs and how they affect teacher agency in education for sustainability. Education has a key role in building a sustainable future and Home Economics has been seen to correspond well with the multidisciplinary nature of sustainability. However, sustainability is a complex issue which students should be taught by encouraging reflection and critical thinking. Home Economics is connected to everyday life and transdisciplinary in nature, therefore it is argued that the themes of sustainability coincide with the subject matter of Home Economics. Previous studies have shown that Home Economics teachers have adopted sustainable practices into their personal lives and are motivated to educate students on sustainability, however the implementation of sustainability into their practice was partially hindered by lack of resources, incentives, and outsiders’ image of the discipline. The data, consisting of the semi-structured interviews of thirteen Finnish Home Economics teachers, was initially coded based on the model of agency achievement. Furthermore, the analysis was carried out using thematic analysis. Four main themes were discovered, involving teacher beliefs about the discipline of Home Economics, beliefs about teaching, beliefs about students and beliefs about sustainability. Results indicated that HE teachers were committed to the principles of sustainability and believed that their work as teachers had impact and meaning in creating a better future by promoting a sustainable lifestyle. However, beliefs, such as students being indifferent about sustainability and the lack of appreciation for Home Economics seemed to inhibit teacher agency. Sustainability was also believed to be a controversial topic, which meant teachers would change the way they spoke about certain subjects with students. Teachers also spoke about how long-standing beliefs and myths about Home Economics still interfere with their work. Additionally, the spaces in which HE was taught seemed to steer the contents of lessons and reinforce beliefs that cooking was the main focus of HE.

Challenges of such as biodiversity loss and unsustainable food systems are interconnected. Forests and forest fungi have important roles in the safeguarding of biodiversity. This study aimed to provide insights on mushroom cultivation opportunities alongside forestry activities using environmental expert opinions, individual forest owners’ perceptions and attitudes of mushroom picking hobbyists. Environmental experts, individual forest owners, and mushroom picking hobbyists were selected as key stakeholder for investigating the viability of mushroom cultivation alongside forestry activities. The potential of mushroom cultivation alongside forestry activities was elicited within the theoretical framework of stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility, sustainable business, and insights from behavioral theories. The data was collected through qualitative interviews and a short survey. The analysis method for the data was thematic analysis. Six themes emerged from the data, showing practical implications that have important implications for the viability of mushroom cultivation alongside forestry activities, and touch upon environmental, economic, legal, social, educational and other practical aspects. Mushroom cultivation services could support and enhance forest biodiversity and offer additional income opportunities for forest owners. From a corporate social responsibility perspective selling mushroom cultivation services to forest owners represents an opportunity to support biodiversity of forests. Turning mushroom cultivation into sustainable business opportunity requires careful consideration of practical implications.

In my Master's Thesis I discuss consumption from the perspective of ecological and social sustainability. The environmental space concept is the framework for this study. The environmental space concept was developed in the beginning of the 1990's. It is a space that can be defined with different indicators and within which it is possible to live a decent and socially acceptable life and at the same time consume natural resources in a sustainable way. In this research the upper limit of environmental space is defined as the sustainable level of natural resource use calculated as material footprint and the lower limit as decent minimum reference budgets that illustrate the level of consumption allowing a household to fulfil all basic needs and to participate in society. The material of the study was collected by questionnaires and interviews on the consumption and lifestyle of the participating households. The households interviewed were all single and living on disability pension or basic unemployment allowance. The natural resource consumption of the households was calculated as material footprint. The material footprint is based on the MIPS concept (Material Input per Service Unit) that considers the whole life cycle of products and activities. The participants were also asked to report their income and consumption expenditures. We were also discussing about consumption, the social pressure to consume and use of natural resources. The results show that the low-income households have an average material footprint exceeding the ecologically sustainable level (18 100 kg per year), although the material footprint is lower than average (40 500 kg per year). They also indicate that a sustainable level of resource use cannot be achieved solely by individual choices but the society must improve the changes in the supply of products, services and infrastructure, enabling households to consume in a more sustainable way. The income level of the households remains below the level of the decent minimum reference budgets. The participating households experienced poverty as lack of possibility to consume and recognized the prevailing social pressure to consume. Consuming was characterized by pursuit of status and social comparison between people. The change in prevailing consumer culture is an essential part on the way towards sustainable society, because the amount of consumption grows as long as welfare is measured through consumption. The connection between consumption and natural resource use remained unclear to many of the households and attitudes towards nature alternated between the households. Those households that had been low-income for their whole life, hadn't thought about the sufficiency of natural resources. Their more ecological way of living than average is rather compulsory than their own choice. The rise in their income level would lead to increasing consumption, as households would want to raise their standard of living by moving to a bigger house and travelling. When we notice the limits of the Planet, we should pay more attention to the upper limit of the environmental space to those, who consume the most.