Published 2023

Read in Norwegian

Publication details

Journal : Acta Horticulturae , vol. 1357 , p. 319–323 , 2023

International Standard Numbers :
Printed : 0567-7572

Publication type : Academic article

Contributors : Martinussen, Inger; Amundsen, Mathias; Granhus, Aksel; Gonera, Antje; Hauglin, Marius; Hykkerud, Anne Linn; Jaakola, Laura; Kurttila, Mikko; Miina, Jari; Peltola, Rainer; Schmidt, Gesine; Skaret, Josefine; Yang, Baoru; Aaby, Kjersti

Research areas

Quality and measurement methods

Product development

Raw material knowledge

If you have questions about the publication, you may contact Nofima’s Chief Librarian.

Kjetil Aune
Chief Librarian
kjetil.aune@nofima.no

Summary

Almost 95% of the area in Norway is wilderness and 38% of the land area is covered by woods. These areas are abundant in valuable renewable resources, including wild berries. In our neighbouring countries, Sweden and Finland, wild berries are already a big industry. At the same time, on the market the Norwegian wild berries are almost non-existent and berries are left unexploited. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is one of the most abundant and economically important wild berries in the Nordic countries. Nevertheless, lingonberry has a large untapped potential due to its unique health effects and potential for increased value creation. It is estimated that 111,500 t of lingonberry are produced in the Norwegian woods. Norway is a long and diverse country with a range of climatic conditions. Adaptations to different conditions can give differences in both yield and quality of wild berries. Yields vary enormously from year to year and among different locations. A steady supply, predictable volumes and high quality are vital for successful commercialization of wild berries. To increase the utilization of berries, there is a need for increased knowledge regarding availability and quality variation of the berries. In addition, the Norwegian market suffers from high labour costs and cannot compete in product price. Innovative solutions and new knowledge on quality aspects can open possibilities for value creation. Toward achieving this goal, we have created a project called “WildBerries”, the main objective of which is to produce research-based knowledge that will create the basis for increased commercial utilization of Norwegian wild berries.

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