The production of potatoes, vegetables and berries has been cut in half in Nordland (one of the northernmost counties in Norway, located in the Arctic Circle) in the last 10 years and is significantly lower than consumption in the rest of the country . The county governor is concerned about the development of the industry, and through the "Traditional Farming Follow-up Project" will have a greater investment in organic production.

Dialogue with the industry on the content of the project

There is great interest in the project among Nordland growers and good support for the county governor's events. This fall there have been dialogue meetings with the industry with motivational talks from young producers and information from wholesalers on market opportunities. During the Norwegian organic products fair, Økouka, the county governor also held three webinars, in collaboration with Økouka Agder and Økouka Nordland.

The green sector towards 2035

In March 2020, a committee made up of green industry players, contracting parties in agricultural negotiations, and the administration presented a report on the organic sector by 2035. The committee was appointed in relation to agricultural settlement in 2019 and received the mandate to present a long-term plan to strengthen Norwegian innovation, growth and increased participation of green products.

The report points out barriers and opportunities for the growth and development of the green sector. The committee makes six recommendations for future efforts for the sector. The recommendations point, for example, to measures to increase demand, product development, extension of the season and the public sector as a buyer. In addition, measures related to the development of sustainability are pointed out as a competitive advantage, strengthening the economy of production, recruitment and R&D work.