Increased investment in North Norwegian agriculture
Photo: Ragnar Våga Pedersen
In this year’s Agricultural Settlement, there was a particular emphasis on the importance of sustainable agriculture in the north. The Centre for Arctic Agriculture has been given an important role in coordinating NIBIO’s contribution to the investment in sustainable food production and value creation in the north.
Agriculture in North Norway is a small, but an important industry that contributes to housing, employment, value creation and an open cultural landscape in that part of the country. An active agricultural industry throughout Norway is also an important foundation for national supply security. Therefore it is important to look after the opportunities for food production throughout Norway.
Northern Norway is home to the world’s most northerly agriculture which takes place under special conditions with a lot of light and little heat. These conditions impose some restrictions on what can be grown and the size of yields. But they also require less use of chemical sprays and provide a unique Arctic quality.
“Agriculture in the north is particularly vulnerable with competence and producer environments that are few and far between and vast transport distances. This plays a part in making it difficult to maintain agricultural activity in a number of areas,” explains Head of the Centre for Arctic Agriculture at NIBIO, Marianne Vileid Uleberg.
The Centre was established at NIBIO in 2021. This is an investment that will help to promote knowledge and activities to support North Norwegian farmers.
This year’s Agricultural Settlement emphasised the importance of strengthening the agricultural industry in the north. The investment will help to strengthen vulnerable producer environments in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark.
“The aim is to counteract decline, increase land use, raise competence in the agricultural industry and food value chain, and take advantage of regional assets and opportunities in Arctic agriculture,” explains Uleberg.
The investment will be made in close collaboration with industry, management and experts in this part of the country.
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Purpose
The Centre for Arctic Agriculture will help promote knowledge and activities to support North Norwegian farmers. The centre will coordinate NIBIO’s contribution to achieve the aims of the targeted initiative for agriculture in the north in the 2022 Agricultural Agreement.
Collaboration: North Norway Agricultural Council, the county municipalities of Troms and Finnmark and Nordland, the County Governors and other supporters of the North Norway agricultural industry
Funding: The Centre for Arctic Agriculture is funded through NIBIO’s basic grant. The targeted initiative for sustainable food production and value creation in the north is funded by the Agricultural Agreement
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