Sustainable seafood in Sweden´s new rural development

Sweden’s long coasts, fishing history, and seafood-rich culinary culture mean sustainable rural development extends beyond agriculture to coastal communities whose ties to the sea deserve special attention. This project examines alternative sustainable seafood´s role and future potential in Swedish rural development.

Modernisation and globalisation of commercial food production has made food cheaper and more available, but caused deforestation, eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

Socially, the agri-industrial system has decreased small-scale farms´ and fisheries´ profitability, stoked rural depopulation, created distance between producers and consumers, exacerbated distributional inequalities, and contributed to a worldwide obesity epidemic, while making domestic food security vulnerable to global trade stoppages.

Scholars and policymakers call for a new rural development that supports artisanal production and multifunctional enterprise.

Nordic consumers are increasingly rejecting industrial, corporate-owned food in favour of locally-produced items with a distinctive “taste of place” procured in face-to-face relationships. Fresh, local, seasonal seafood that supports local economies can be part of this trend.

The project studies how coastal fishers and locally-landed fish are included in local food initiatives and multifunctional entrepreneurship, and how their future contributions to sustainable rural development might be strengthened.