Sammanfattning

Agriculture in the boreal and Arctic regions is perceived as marginal, low intensity and inadequate to satisfy the needs of local communities, but another perspective is that northern agriculture has untapped potential to increase the local supply of food and even contribute to the global food system. Policies across northern jurisdictions target the expansion and intensification of agriculture, contextualized for the diverse social settings and market foci in the north. However, the rapid pace of climate change means that traditional methods of adapting cropping systems and developing infrastructure and regulations for this region cannot keep up with climate change impacts. Moreover, the anticipated conversion of northern cold-climate natural lands to agriculture risks a loss of up to 76% of the carbon stored in vegetation and soils, leading to further environmental impacts. The sustainable development of northern agriculture requires local solutions supported by locally relevant policies. There is an obvious need for the rapid development of a transdisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional, long-term knowledge development, and dissemination program to best serve food needs and an agricultural economy in the boreal and Arctic regions while minimizing the risks to global climate, northern ecosystems and communities

Nyckelord

boreal agriculture; Arctic agriculture; crops and agricultural practices; northern soils; policies for agriculture expansion; land-use conversion; social and cultural drivers

Publicerad i

Frontiers in sustainable food systems
2021, Volym: 319, artikelnummer: 663448

SLU författare

• Parsons, David

  • Institutionen för norrländsk jordbruksvetenskap, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen

SDG13 Vidta omedelbara åtgärder för att bekämpa klimatförändringarna och dess konsekvenser
SDG2 Avskaffa hunger, uppnå tryggad livsmedelsförsörjning och förbättrad nutrition samt främja ett hållbart jordbruk


UKÄ forskningsämne

Klimatforskning
Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.663448

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112869