Forgotten Practices: A case study of social struggles in agrarian Uppsala, and its implications for Swedish farming

Abstract: This thesis set out to map the relation Swedish farmers have to their occupation and production, while also investigating what challenges farmers experience which in turn might affect social sustainability in Swedish agriculture negatively. Agriculture was approached as a case of low social sustainability based on the fact that more than one-third of Swedish farmers are over retiring age, while young people increasingly seem to move away from the sector. In a qualitative analysis process, data was gathered through in-depth interviews and field studies. Two field trips to Upp-sala and its surrounding agricultural landscape were conducted. Seven farmers and one representative from a large landowner organization were interviewed. The study was informed by Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triad, used to approach, understand, and conceptualize the social construction of the agrarian space of today. This resulted in four themes, which all could be boiled down to a lack of connection between agriculture and the rest of society; High threshold for farming; Distance between regulations and discussions of agriculture, and farmers; Leasing vs. Private owned farms; Rationalization and capital’s creation of desirability in the landscape. The thesis found that farmers experience surrounding society as disconnected from and unaware of the agrarian process, despite its importance for society. This meant that on the one hand, interviewed farmers stated a low affirmation from the rest of society. On the other hand, this has created a situation where people to a lower degree define our society as agrarian, which in turn means that we as individuals to a lower degree identify ourselves with the farmer occupation. Low economic incentives and high capital requirements were found to be another large reason for people moving away from agriculture. Social sustainability in agriculture is thus in danger, at least if the way of production of today is to continue in the future. Agriculture stands before great challenges, and this thesis reveals the need for another wave of rationalization in agriculture. However, the agrarian rationalization process of the 20th century is argued to be the reason for many modern agrarian problems, and from this, the future of farming in Sweden appears rather uncertain.