Sustainability Analysis of Swedish IP Apples in an International Perspective
Sustainable apple cultivation is about more than choosing between organic or conventional methods. This project analyses Swedish IP apples in relation to cultivation systems across Europe, with a focus on climate impact, biodiversity, and how local conditions shape environmental outcomes.
Company
Kiviks Musteri AB is a family‑owned beverage company located in Österlen, producing fruit, vegetable and berry‑based products such as apple juice, cider, purées and soups. The company has a long history, backed by five generations of knowledge on how to handle fruit and berries to preserve their nutritional value and freshly harvested flavour. The origins of the mustery date back to 1888, when the first apple trees were planted by Henrik Åkesson on the site that would later become Kiviks Musteri. Today, Kiviks Musteri is a well‑known food company and a popular visitor destination. Read more on Kiviks Musteri’s website.
Kiviks Musteri strives to minimise its environmental impact throughout the entire value chain, from raw material handling to final packaging. The company holds several certifications, including Fairtrade, KRAV and ISO 14001, which ensure that environmental considerations are integrated into daily operations and that continuous improvement is prioritised.
Background
Many consumers assume that organic products are always the most environmentally friendly choice. However, the sustainability of a cultivation system depends heavily on the context in which it is used — climate, pest pressure, landscape structure and national regulations all influence how the same certification can affect nature and the environment differently depending on country and local conditions.
Against this backdrop, Kiviks Musteri wants to provide consumers with a more nuanced and evidence‑based understanding of their Swedish IP apples and the sustainability benefits associated with growing in a Nordic climate with strict regulations for plant protection and food safety. To strengthen their communication and sustainability work, Kiviks Musteri aims to evaluate how Swedish apples compare in a broader international context — particularly how biodiversity is affected by different cultivation systems in Sweden compared with key import countries.
Project
This project aims to produce a comprehensive analysis of sustainability aspects related to Swedish IP apples compared with organic and conventional apples from other European countries, such as Italy and Spain. The work consists of two parts that together provide both breadth and analytical depth.
In the first part of the project, you will conduct an overview synthesis of key sustainability dimensions, such as climate impact, pesticide residues and regulations, quality, transport and storage. This section functions as a system‑level mapping that places apple cultivation within a broader environmental and sustainability context and helps identify the factors driving differences between countries and cultivation systems.
In the second part, you will delve deeper into biodiversity and cultivation systems, focusing on how ecological outcomes are influenced by factors such as climate, landscape structure, pest pressure and national regulations. Here, you will compare Swedish IP orchards with organic and conventional systems in, for example, Southern Europe. The aim is to understand why the same certification can have different environmental impacts depending on country and local conditions, and which factors are most critical for biodiversity in practice. You may also include how different cultivation systems could be affected by future climate change.
The methodology combines a literature review with the collection of information on how cultivation systems function in practice in different countries and regions. For example, you may contact growers, advisors, industry organisations or certification bodies to investigate this further.
You are free to develop the methodological and analytical framework together with your supervisor.
The outcome of the project should provide Kiviks Musteri with a clear, research‑based foundation for understanding how Swedish apples compare internationally, and which factors are most relevant to communicate to consumers regarding sustainability and biodiversity.
Related SDG:s
Emma Brodén
emma@sustainalink.se
0760-345141