Some reflections on Swedish food strategies from a Sami and an Arctic perspective

• The European North is generally considered a food secure area, which is an area where 'all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life' (F.A.O., 1996). This depends to a large extent on food imports and national and international trade. In Sweden, the level of food sovereignty is low and, since the nation's entrance into the European Union in 1995, rapidly declining. In 2017, all political parties in Sweden agreed to the first ever National Food Strategy. The key concept of this strategy is market orientation. The aim is to increase food production sector in relation to consumers' demands and to increase the product value of local foods.One hundred years ago, the strong interconnection between the food strategies of Indigenous Sami and settlers in a system based on knowledge and relationships was significant for the traditional lifestyles of Northernmost Sweden. This chapter reflects on the extent to which it is possible to apply traditional knowledge of food strategies in Arctic Sweden to modern policies aimed at food sovereignty.According to these reflections, a future sustainable food strategy for Sápmi/Northern Sweden should be outlined and agreed on by the Swedish government and the Swedish Sami Parliament. It should be product oriented, ecological, in balance with nature, and based primarily on plants and animals adapted to an Arctic or sub-Arctic boreal climate zone. It should also specify caloric values and nutritional content, include local and traditional perspectives, include strategies for waste reduction, promote knowledge sharing from different knowledge systems, and strengthen relationships among all inhabitants in the area.This chapter reflects on the extent to which it is possible to apply traditional knowledge of food strategies in Arctic Sweden to modern policies aimed at food sovereignty. It discusses how traditional knowledge of foods and food systems in Arctic Sweden could be applied to food security policies today, especially as Northern Europe is increasingly affected by climate change. This chapter reviews Sweden's 2017 National Food Strategy and reflect on it from a Sami cultural perspective. World War II challenged Sweden's food system and initiated the shift toward national rather than local food systems. From 1945 to 1990, domestic food production was financially supported and protected from international competition by customs and regulations. Food prices have been decreasing for a long time, and most Swedes trust that global market food will continue providing them with their daily bread. Consequently, food security and sovereignty have been considered non-issues.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Annan humaniora -- Övrig annan humaniora (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Other Humanities -- Other Humanities not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

food security

food souvereignty

Arctic

Sami

Indigenous

traditional food

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