Rural affairs

Opening remarks by Minister for Rural Affairs, Jennie Nilsson at the Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue, Umeå, 4 October, 2019.

On 17 May 2018, the Government adopted a strategy for Sweden’s National Forest Programme. In July 2018, the Government adopted an action plan with specific measures. The action plan will be updated in dialogue with interested parties.

State Secretary Lisa Backteman raised the importance of continued close dialogue and cooperation around the Baltic when BALTFISH (a forum for discussion Baltic Sea Fisheries) met in Stockholm.

Rescue services, government agencies and local authorities are engaged in intensive efforts in response to the forest fires raging around the country, the widespread drought and the ongoing heat wave. More information about these efforts is available below. Crisis preparedness is part of the remit of every government agency and authority.

The extreme drought of recent months has had an impact on the Swedish agricultural sector. The Government is following developments closely and continues, alongside government agencies and other actors, to seek solutions to the challenges emerging so as to alleviate the situation for farmers now and in the future.

Total investments in the area of environment and climate for 2018 amount to SEK 5 billion, allocated to several different expenditure areas. Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog is proud that Sweden has once again presented a budget with a clear environmental profile.

The Food Strategy is a platform that sets out the direction of our policy towards 2030, to create stability and ensure a long-term approach. Concrete measures are put forward in the Government’s action plan stemming from areas identified in the strategy. Some, but not all, of the actions can be realised by the Government. To be successful, the entire food supply chain need to work in the same direction, where as many as possible are contributing. With the Food Strategy as foundation, we will be able to meet the challenges facing us and strengthen the Swedish food supply chain.

Swedish food creates jobs, sustainable growth and values for society as a whole. In addition to meeting the demand for food, we gain open landscapes and lively rural communities. The national food strategy will help strengthen competitiveness and to ensure the potential of Swedish food production is fully realised to the benefit of actors and stakeholders throughout the entire food supply chain – from primary production all the way to the consumer.

The Government is launching five innovation partnership programmes to help meet a range of the societal challenges that Sweden is facing. These programmes involve new ways of travelling, residing, doing business, living, communicating, and using and preserving the world’s resources and ecosystems. Partnership between public actors, business and academia creates new, innovative solutions that strengthen competitiveness, contribute to sustainable development and create more jobs.

On the afternoon of 12 May, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet left Sweden following a three-day State Visit. The President was in Sweden at the invitation of HM the King. This was the first State Visit by a Chilean president to Sweden. Several of the Government ministers took part in the programme. The purpose of the visit was to broaden and deepen bilateral relations between Chile and Sweden.