Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 43

ICELAND REVIEW 41
Counting
SheepAgriculture tends to be romanticized in
Iceland, covering up the harsh realities faced
by many farmers. Changes are on the horizon
but where is the industry headed?
By eygló Svala arnarSdóttir . PHoToS By Páll StefánSSon .
Climate change could be a bless-
ing for Icelandic agriculture, prime
Minister of Iceland Sigmundur
Davíð Gunnlaugsson has indicated. He
reasons that the country will be better
suited for more types of farming in the
future, such as growing grain, resulting in
increased export of agricultural products.
land of oPPortUnity
“It’s our obligation to take advantage of the
opportunities and increase food production,
both for the domestic market—where we’re
looking at a 20 percent increase in tourism
every year—and for export,” says Minister
of Fisheries and agriculture Sigurður Ingi
Jóhannsson. His and Sigmundur’s party, the
progressive party, was founded to protect
the interests of farmers, and through the
years farmers have remained loyal support-
ers. agriculture used to be as important to
the national economy as the fishing indus-
try, and the progressive party would like
its importance to increase. “By 2050, the
world’s population will have grown from
seven to nine billion with the middle class
numbering three billion,” Sigurður says
in reference to estimates of the expand-
ing global market. “Demand for food will
double.”
The government’s long-term goal is to
double agricultural production in Iceland.
Chair of the Icelandic Farmers association
Sindri Sigurgeirsson points out this isn’t
possible across the industry. “The produc-
tion of lamb could increase by 20 to 30
percent in some areas, while the cultiva-
tion of certain greenhouse vegetables could
increase to a greater extent, such as of
leafy salads.” Dean of the School of Social
Sciences at the university of Iceland Daði
Már kristófersson, who is professor in
environmental and resource economics,
agrees that—given that state intervention
will be modified—there are unused oppor-
tunities in Icelandic agriculture; in growing
barley, pork production and especially in
aquaculture.
There are around 4,200 registered farms
in Iceland, of which 3,200 are active in