The Arctic as a food producing region

Climate change can present a number of challenges in relation to food production in the Arctic. This is especially the case in agriculture, where winter damage, new and more diseases, and more precipitation that can pose challenges during harvest times. This will require new operating systems and new technological solutions.

However, climate change may also mean that countries in the North must contribute to increased global food production to a greater extent. Production in the North is important and there seems to be an increasing demand for food that is produced in the Arctic.

Consumer surveys among Norwegian and European consumers show that Arctic food is associated with positive characteristics such as being fresh and tasty, and that many of the characteristics associated with Arctic food are factors that are common in modern international food trends, such as health, natural, genuine and traditional.

One marketing opportunity that can be investigated further is to place emphasis on sensory characteristics in Arctic food, such as smell, taste and texture.

Research shows that some vegetables and berries produced in the North have a better appearance, better nutritional content, are often sweeter in taste, and also have a more crisp and juicier consistency compared to vegetables and berries grown in warmer climates. Potentially, this could be exploited in marketing work involving vegetables, berries and other products with unique characteristics from the Arctic.

The project is incorporated into the Arctic Council’s project portfolio and endorsed by the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG).

Other participants include Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Russia. The Norwegian participation was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has been taken place as a collaboration of Nofima and Nibio.