Increasing food production in the face of a growing population, while adapting to and mitigating climate change constitutes a main challenge for the global agricultural sector. This study identifies, analyses and contextualizes regional initiatives related to agriculture and climate change in developing countries. In order to identify needs for improvements and possibilities for replication or scale-up, a review of recently launched initiatives is combined with a SWOT analysis. Moreover, the study places initiatives in the context of INDCs of Sub-Saharan African countries submitted under the UNFCCC. As a result, recommendations on how to develop and implement best practice agriculture climate change initiatives are presented.

Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds that may bind to estrogen receptors, but with less affinity than the natural ligand estradiol. They may be biologically active as such or after metabolization in our body. To investigate the occurrence and level of phytoestrogens, scientific literature was screened for data on isoflavones, lignans, stilbenes and coumestans in raw and processed foods of plant origin. The review presents data based both on analytical methods hydrolysing glucosides and non-destructive methods.Many phytoestrogens are phytoalexins. Their production is induced when plants are exposed to abiotic and/or biotic stress. This could explain the rather different levels reported in plants by various investigators, and indicates that many samples are required to describe the levels generally occurring in foodstuffs. The influence of food processing was also considered.

The Nordic network ERMOND, Ecosystem Resilience for Mitigation of Natural Disasters, reviewed information on natural hazards and ecosystem conditions in the Nordic countries. Many natural hazards put pressure on Nordic societies, primarily floods, landslides, storms, snow avalanches and volcanic activity. Intensified land use and predicted climate change are likely to increase the impacts of natural hazards in the future. Ecosystems in good condition have the ability to reduce the impacts of natural hazards. Our study showed, however, that degradation of natural habitats in the Nordic countries may have reduced or even seriously damaged this ability. Nordic disaster risk reduction policies and strategies should recognize this situation and place restoration of degraded ecosystems on the agenda as an integrated part of future disaster risk reduction management in the Nordic countries.

The Nordic countries have, during the last 20 years, introduced efficient measures to reduce nitrogen losses to the environment. Still, nitrogen losses from the agricultural sector are high. In this report we provide recommendations on strategies and policy instruments to achieve cost effective abatement of reactive nitrogen from agriculture in the Nordic countries.This report is based on a literature review. Additional input was also obtained from discussions at a workshop held in Gothenburg in January 2017. The workshop made it possible for experts from the four Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to come together and discuss and compare policies and mitigation measures regarding nitrogen and agriculture. During the workshop we identified a number of policy challenges, policy actions and also knowledge gaps where further research is needed.

As part of the Sustainable Production and Consumption strategy, The European Commission is establishing the framework for a harmonised assessment of the environmental impact of products (PEF) based on a life cycle approach. This also includes methodologies for foods, including livestock products. The farming stage is by far the largest contributor to the environmental profile of such foods, so it is important to have sound data representing this stage. This report identifies in a Nordic context what primary farm activity data that is perceived relatively easy to collect and what supplementary data and life cycle inventory analysis data (LCI) that are needed. It is concluded that there is in particular a need for LCI’s for feeds produced in the Nordic countries and for recruitment animals in different livestock systems, and a relevant granularity for such datasets are proposed.

The working group on Sustainable Consumption and Production, under the Nordic Council of Ministers requested consultants from Gaia to identify and write out best Nordic practice cases of sustainable consumption and production to be shared internationally within the UNEP SCP Clearinghouse. This report is the third part of three reports and covers 15 examples of two particular themes on:

1) Sustainable Buildings and Constructions

2) Sustainable Food Systems

The cases have also been added into the UNEP’s 10 Year Frame-work Program (10YFP) information platform, the SCP Clearinghouse. The objective is to enhance international cooperation in order to accelerate a shift towards sustainable consumption and production in developed and developing countries. The SCP Clearinghouse is a web-based information sharing tool, which can be used as an inspiration for advancing SCP worldwide.

Human wellbeing is dependent upon and benefit from ecosystem services which are delivered by well-functioning ecosystems. Ecosystem services can be mapped and assessed consistently within an ecosystem service framework. This project aims to explore the use and usefulness of the ecosystem service framework in freshwater management, particularly water management according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). There are several examples of how ecosystem services have been used in WFD related studies in all the Nordic countries. Most of them involve listing, describing and categorizing freshwater ecosystem services, while there are few comprehensive Cost Benefit Analyses and analyses of disproportionate costs that apply this framework. More knowledge about ecosystem services and the value of ecosystem services for freshwater systems is needed.

Alkaline fens are species rich wetlands that today are threatened. Nature conservation officers and experts of alkaline fens from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden visited alkaline fens in Sweden and Finland to discuss the current situation. Restoration and management can be expensive and there is a need to find more appropriate ways to manage and restore alkaline fens.

This report reflects on the achievements of the Selfoss Declaration on sustainable forestry in the Nordic region, made in 2008 by the Ministers of Forestry in the Nordic countries and the following reccommendations on how to implement the intention of the declaration. The question is, did the forestry sector focus on the resolution acknowledged by the forestry ministers in the Declaration, and furthermore, how did it affect the forestry sector in the Nordic countries. The Selfoss Declaration initiated a lot of activities, financed with funds from the Nordic Council of Ministers and incisive actions in organizing the forest research cooperation across national boundaries within the Nordic neighbouring countries. Based on this experience, it seems important that the forestry ministers continue to take an active part in visualizing where Nordic cooperation should head in the future.

Nordic Green to Scale for countries zooms in on two regions: Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa and the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in Europe. This report presents the emission reduction potential of 10 selected solutions for the African target countries. The study highlights the costs, savings and co-benefits of implementing the solutions as well as makes policy recommendations for capturing the potential. The technical analysis was conducted by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Africa Centre in close collaboration with African organisations and networks on key environmental and development issues. The project was carried out by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, together with partners CICERO, CONCITO and Institute of Sustainability Studies at the University of Iceland. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Prime Ministers’ Initiative Nordic Solutions.

At an important time in Nordic Waste Policy, as the 2018 Circular Economy Package makes significant updates to key European Union directives, this work looks back at the Nordic regulatory framework for waste from the 1970s and its effect upon waste prevention and recycling.At an important time in Nordic Waste Policy, as the 2018 Circular Economy Package makes significant updates to key European Union directives, this work looks back at the Nordic regulatory framework for waste from the 1970s and its effect upon waste prevention and recycling.

This policy brief constitutes one of the main outputs from the project “Pathways to a Nordic food system that contributes to reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants”. In cooperation with NOAH (Denmark), Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finland) and Norsk Bonde- og Småbrukarlag (Norway), AirClim (Sweden) has analysed agricultural emissions, regulatory frameworks, food production systems, consumption trends, policies for the agricultural sector and the overall environmental impact in terms of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. The analysis also covers conflicts of interest that are counterproductive to an agricultural food production system with lower emissions of greenhouse gases and ammonia. The project is financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Climate and Air Pollution Group.

This technical analysis for the Nordic Green to Scale for countries report was commissioned to Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Tallinn Centre. The project zooms in on two regions: the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in Europe; and Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa. This report presents the emission reduction potential of 10 selected solutions for the European target countries. The study highlights the costs, savings and co-benefits of implementing the solutions as well as makes policy recommendations for capturing the potential. The project was carried out by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, together with its partners CICERO, CONCITO and Institute of Sustainability Studies at the University of Iceland. The technical analysis was produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Prime Ministers’ Initiative.

A plethora of environmental problems are ravaging the planet and its inhabitants. How well do existing structures convene governments to address these challenges? What is the role of science and civil society in this context? And, does international cooperation properly support countries with limited capacities? This report seeks to respond to these questions, based on an analysis of actions taken to renew international environmental governance to fulfill commitments made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in 2012. This report outlines possibilities to strengthen the UN Environment Programme and to enhance synergies among global environmental conventions to ensure that international environmental governance continues evolving and improving to secure human well-being and planetary health.

Coastal fisheries play a vital role in the marine sector of the Nordic countries and serves as a backbone of the economy of many smaller coastal communities. The coastal fleets usually have a big presence in smaller, more remote fishing villages, supplying local processing companies with raw material. The coastal sector is therefore highly important for regional development, as it represents a significant part of total landings and offers employment for a large number of fishermen, processors and other supporting industries.

This report reviews the coastal sectors in seven Nordic countries, which include almost 20 thousand coastal vessels that are catching close to 900 thousand tonnes a year, valued at 1.2 billion EUR. The fleets are highly variable and the individual countries do each have their unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, which are discussed in the report.

Digitalisation is impacting various facets of society and holds great potential in radically changing the ways businesses are operating. Despite these radical changes, little has been said about the impact of digitalisation on micro-, small and medium-sized businesses within the marine sector.

To close this gap, this complimentary report, Is the coast clear? The role of digitalisation for enabling blue growth in the cross-border region of Svinesund is a follow-up study of Randal and Berlina’s report Governing the digital transition in Nordic regions: The human element (2019).

The latter report was written on behalf of the Nordic thematic group for innovative and resilient regions 2017–2020, under the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Committee of Civil Servants for Regional Affairs.

The present, complimentary study on digitalisation and blue growth has been developed on behalf of the Nordic thematic working group’s member Svinesundskommittén (The Svinesund committee).

The study explores what role digitalisation plays in the context of business development and growth in the marine sector in the Svinesund area; the different challenges and opportunities that surface in this context; and what role the Svinesund mega-region may play for the future of blue growth.

Rapporten indeholder en beskrivelse af status for implementering af Ramsarkonventionen og Biodiversitetskonventionen i Island, Grønland, Færøerne og Åland. Fokus er på aktiviteter, som landene har gennemført, men også på hvad landene mangler for at være opdateret i forhold til konventionernes krav, f.eks. vedrørende forvaltningsplaner/strategier, organisering og om konventionerne i tilstrækkelig grad er implementeret i lovgivningen.Foruden at give en generel introduktion til konventionernes krav, giver rapporten også et bud på, hvad lande med forholdsvis små forvaltninger kan gøre for at leve op til kravene. Der er således opstillet en ”implementerings-checkliste” for hver konvention, så man som forvaltning - lille som stor - på en enkel måde kan danne sig et overblik over hvilke krav, der er gældende, og hvordan tilgangen til en need-to-do implementering kunne se ud.

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are substances that adversely affect hormone function. The effects by EDs are thought to depend on both dose and timing of exposure, especially during foetal development. The upcoming EU regulation on identification of EDs, application biocides and pesticides, will have an impact on all actors of the food chain. The consequences of a ban of EDs in foods were discussed in a Nordic workshop (Uppsala, 29-30 Nov 2016) where risk assessors and managers from Nordic food authorities, industry, trade associations, consumer organizations and researchers were represented. It was recognized by all participants that a ban was particularly challenging for the production chain since there are few viable alternatives. A harmonized EU legislation based on scientific risk assessment was preferred compared to national specific legislation as it treats all the actors equally.

Climate change has already resulted in challenges for Nordic agriculture and the difficulties will continue to increase in the future. It is therefore important to act now to adapt our agriculture to future conditions, especially since the development of new crop varieties takes a long time (8-15 years).

In this report, based on a workshop with the leading researchers and plant breeders in the Nordic region, nine specific recommendations are listed. The recommendations have the main goal to support future food security in the Nordic countries by facilitating the development of new crop varieties adapted to our future needs. Special attention is given to the challenge of adaptation to climate change and high-quality food and feed production.

NordGen is the Nordic Countries' common gene bank and knowledge centre for genetic resources. This brochure collects examples of how the Nordic seed collection is being used and why it's important to preserve a genetic diversity within cultivated plants, farm animals and in forests. 

NordGen är de nordiska ländernas gemensamma genbank och kunskapscenter för genetiska resurser. Denna broschyr samlar exempel på hur den nordiska frösamlingen kommer till nytta och varför det är så viktigt att bevara genetisk mångfald inom våra odlade växter, våra jordbruksdjur och i vår skog. 

Inom fiskerisamarbetet kommer fokus att ligga på att förverkliga potentialen inom blå bioekonomi. Med digitaliseringens möjligheter kommer det svenska ordförandeskapet för jordbrukssektorn att fokusera på områdena hållbar förvaltning av biologiska resurser, ökad konkurrensförmåga, resiliens och minskad klimatpåverkan från primärproduktionen samt diversifierad landsbygdsekonomi. Hälsosam och säker mat är i fokus. Det svenska ordförandeskapet vill fortsätta utveckla detta samarbete inom ramen för en hållbar utveckling. Under ordförandeskapet är frågor som rör skog eller skogsprodukter en prioritet. Utmaningarna i hållbarhetsarbetet är till stor del globala, men lösningarna lokala. MR-FJLS har i sitt samarbetsprogram för 2017–2020 beslutat att man under perioden ska arbeta för att uppfylla FN:s mål för global utveckling.