Troms and Finnmark food security potential identified by NIBIO

Research from NIBIO indicates that the regions of Troms and Finnmark in Norway have the potential to increase local food production to improve food security during a crisis. Based on calculations by the County Governor of Troms and Finnmark, current agricultural and reindeer husbandry production would provide a limited diet if external supplies were cut off.

In Finnmark, a person would have access to approximately five liters of milk per week, along with small amounts of yogurt, cheese, butter, and one portion of reindeer meat. In Troms, the availability is slightly higher, including roughly seven to eight meatball portions and a few potatoes, though both regions would face severe shortages of vegetables, berries, and grain products.

NIBIO researcher Frøydis Gillund suggests that the potential for self-sufficiency is much higher if more resources are utilized. She highlights that sheep and reindeer act as a ‘wandering preparedness’ because they can utilize outland resources and are less dependent on concentrated feed than dairy production. Increasing the cultivation of vegetables and potatoes could further bolster local food security.