“There is no one that isn’t born and raised on a farm that can afford to go into dairy production”: Swedish dairy farmers on profitability, power and sustainability

This thesis contributes to the discussion on food production and sustainability by studying how political economy is experienced by Swedish dairy farmers. Many Swedish dairy farmers have reported that they struggle with poor profitability, and the number of dairy farms is decreasing quickly. However, the size of the remaining farms has increased simultaneously. The study focuses on the changes in dairy production since 2007, and seven farmers have been interviewed. The farmers identified profitability as the biggest problem for them, which is caused by global competition and Swedish policies. Poor profitability causes farms to close down and discourage the next generation of dairy farmers from entering the market. Fewer and more sparsely located farms makes it more difficult for farmers to cooperate and share machinery, and fewer farms also causes services to disappear. The farmers say that bigger and more rational farms are needed to survive on the market, but organic farming also increases profitability. The farmers feel they have little power to change the situation, other than adapting their own farm. Dairy production is considered environmentally friendly as it is part of the carbon cycle, but further actions to improve use of pesticides and fertilisers would make dairy production more environmentally friendly