This study examines how value chain dynamics and public procurement practices

shape the use of seafood in public meals in Sweden. Despite political ambitions to

increase both seafood consumption and domestic production, the use of seafood in

public meal services remains limited and concentrated to a few standardized products.

The study is based on a qualitative interview approach, including actors from multiple

stages of the seafood value chain, such as producers, wholesalers, procurement

officials, and meal service practitioners. The analysis is conducted through a value

chain perspective, focusing on how structural and operational factors influence which

products reach the end consumer.

The results indicate that limitations arise not from a lack of seafood, but from

cumulative constraints across the value chain. Key factors include price sensitivity,

requirements for volume and delivery stability, procurement structures favoring

standardization, and practical constraints within kitchens. These factors collectively

filter out a large share of potential seafood products.

The study concludes that the current procurement system functions as intended but is

better adapted to stable and standardized supply chains than to the variability of

seafood production. Increasing the use of sustainable seafood therefore requires

coordinated changes across procurement practices, organizational capacity, and value

chain collaboration.