Ekologiska livsmedel i kommunal verksamhet : Fallstudie över Ludvika kommuns satsning på ekologiska livsmedel inom skola och äldreomsorg

Sammanfattning: Organic food is produced in a way that strives towards maintaining and improving natural resources. The welfare of both producers and consumers is central, also taking both animals and the environment into account. The Swedish government finds this important and in 2006 they made a resolution that the consumption of organic food should be stimulated. The goal was that 25 % of the municipalities’ consumption of food should be organic in 2010. The municipality of Ludvika reached the government's target in 2011 and is currently increasing their proportion of organic food by one new product every year.  Ludvika is a member of The National Association of Swedish Eco-municipalities and the town of Ludvika is also a Fairtrade city. These commitments have resulted in an increased focus on environmental and justice issues, where organic food is an important part. An analysis of Ludvika’s work with organic food was done throughout this thesis. The results were then compared to the leading municipality in the county, Borlänge, which is also the best in the nation. This was done to give a picture of how their work is done today and how it could evolve in the future. The municipality of Ludvika has a good diet policy and an ambitious theoretical basis for their climate policy. The membership of the The National Association of Swedish Eco-municipalities and the fact that Ludvika is a Fairtrade city is founded on certain commitments and strategies. The action taken in accordance with these strategies can be more clear and closer to the initial level of ambition. The importance of a holistic approach has been mentioned in this thesis. It has been suggested how the choice of organic food contribute to a better environment and health, relative to the use of taxes paid by the inhabitants. An important conclusion from the comparison with the leading municipality in organic foods is that it has not had to be more expensive to increase the share of organic food. Through good planning, innovation and an increased knowledge much can be done, even if a limited budget initially is perceived as a problem.