Swedish food and drinking water sector invests in preparedness and Nordic cooperation
In Sweden, the state is investing €50 million this year in improving crisis resilience in the food supply and drinking water sector. The Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) is also investing in Nordic cooperation on food preparedness.
Sweden has begun to prepare more heavily for security of supply and crisis resilience in the food and drinking water sector. In 2022, the country introduced a new structure for civil defence and societal crisis preparedness. The result is 12 preparedness sectors, covering 60 authorities and 21 county administrative boards. One of these is the preparedness sector Food Supply and Drinking Water, which includes wastewater and waste management alongside food and water.
The Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) serves as the sector’s responsible authority, which also includes the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), the National Veterinary Institute (SVA), and the County Administrative Boards (Länsstyrelserna).
Investments in preparedness for the Food Supply and Drinking Water sector in Sweden are already significant, even from a Finnish perspective. The country is investing around €50 million in food preparedness this year.
“The current government’s target is to increase the annual funding amount to approximately €100 million, all parties stand behind the initiative so I don’t believe there will be changes to this even after the election,” says Rickard Bjerselius, Crisis Management Officer at the Swedish Food Agency.
Crisis-resilient grocery stores and mobile grain mills
The investment programme for the Food Supply and Drinking Water sector supports municipalities and companies in strengthening their preparedness capabilities. Municipalities, for example, have been granted funding for backup power, emergency drinking water tanks, mobile field kitchens, and equipment for school kitchens enabling food freeze-drying for self-reliant storage.
“Grain is being stockpiled in northern Sweden, and we are planning for mobile mills Another concrete pilot project involves resilient grocery stores, for which mobile backup power supplies and autonomous payment systems are being developed so that stores can continue operating and accepting payments during crisis situations such as power outages,” says Bjerselius.
Building a situational picture with private companies
In Sweden, the private sector is the most critical and important component of the food and water supply. Public-private cooperation has intensified significantly since the pandemic. Today, authorities, industry associations, and major companies gather monthly for digital meetings to share and compile a joint situational picture.
“Cooperation is based on trust, and as an authority, we try to share every piece of information possible with private companies. Nowadays, companies also share a wealth of preparedness-related information during these monthly meetings,” says Bjerselius.
Within Sweden’s total defence structure, companies are expected to maintain self-sufficient operations for at least two weeks during a crisis, which is a challenging task for many, especially smaller businesses.
“Large companies are relatively well prepared, but our challenge is reaching the smallest actors in the food chain, who may not even recognise their critical role within the broader system. Reaching these companies and engaging them in preparedness is an important task for municipalities and regional authorities at the local level,” says Bjerselius.
Deepening Nordic cooperation
Sweden is currently also engaging in Nordic cooperation regarding food preparedness. The Nordic Council of Ministers has recently taken the initiative to start the Nordic Food Security Partnership, with Sweden coordinating this cooperation. The goal is to ensure robust regional food preparedness in the Nordic region before, during and after crisis and war.
“Deepening the Nordic cooperation is essential for food supply matters. The cooperation is also linked through NATO structures to joint work with the Baltic states, which strengthens broader regional preparedness capabilities for the future,” Bjerselius reflects.
Rickard Bjerselius will visit during the intensive phase of the TIETO26 exercise in September as part of a Swedish food supply delegation.
“We look forward to gaining an even deeper insight into Finland’s food supply preparedness system as well as public-private cooperation. We are also looking forward to engaging in interesting discussions with representatives from Finland and other countries,” says Bjerselius.
Article by: Matti Lintulahti, Kubo