A more sustainable value chain for Swedish berries?

The Swedish wild berries we buy in the supermarket have arrived there as the last link in a long value chain controlled by a few large wholesalers. Foreign workers employed by temporary agencies are flown to Sweden to pick the berries, which are then transported long distances for processing. This means a large carbon footprint and a loss of economic opportunities for the local community.

"Alongside the long value chains, there have always been short, local value chains where berries are picked by locals who then process and sell their products themselves at local markets or, for example, on Facebook," says Anna Molander, project manager at RISE:

"In this collaborative project we wanted to take a closer look at how the local population can be involved in berry picking and how a shorter value chain can be scaled up in a sustainable way."

A local value chain benefits both the environment and the local community. Buying and processing berries locally reduces the number of intermediaries between producer and consumer, reducing the impact on the climate and strengthening the local economy. Working locally is about building a sustainable business model that reduces our dependence on external resources and strengthens the local economy.

Adding value to the local community

Gun Lidestav from Bjurholm municipality in Västerbotten has always been interested in berry picking. In the 1970s and 80s, many people in the area picked berries every year and sold them to local traders. Would it be possible to rekindle that interest? And is there a demand in the community to buy locally produced berries?

"I have been thinking for a long time about a more local system for berries. That the berries that grow in the forests should be turned into jam and cream for local schools and retirement homes via the shortest possible value chain. Especially in these times of environmental and climate crisis, we need to rethink and move away from large global value chains to smaller local ones. Should we really be sending both the berries and the people who pick them all over the world?"

Gun was not hard to convince when Bjurholm Municipality was asked to be a pilot municipality in the FAIRCHAIN project, a Horizon-funded project aimed at creating shorter and more sustainable value chains where the value of berries stays and grows in the region. As part of the project, she and her two adult children set up a business association – Bär i Bygden Bjurholm. She is glad she got involved in the project and is proud of the results, even though it has been a long way from talk to action.

Testing the local value chain for berries in Bjurholm

"From my point of view, this RISE research project was a test – we wanted to find out whether there were enough people in the area who wanted to pick and sell berries, and whether there was demand from local businesses to buy the berries. The answer to both questions was yes," says Gun Lidestav.

During the first test season in 2024, more than 1,000 kg of berries were picked, cleaned and sold in Bjurholm to nursing homes and schools in neighbouring municipalities, as well as to restaurants and small processors with a local profile. Some were also sold to private individuals at market events. If there would have been more capacity, many more berries could have been processed. Gun sees this as a sign that the business model is working.

"For us at Bjurholm Municipality, this project is a way to explore new avenues for our local economy, while at the same time creating awareness and spreading knowledge about the berries that grow in our forests. The input was interesting: what is needed to create a more sustainable, local value chain for berries?" says Claudia Wieczorek, Business Development at Bjurholm Municipality.

Increased interest in berry picking

RISE role in the project was to develop and test, together with the municipality and the business association Bär i Bygden Bjurholm, a new business model where the value of the forest berries stays in the village. With the help of local ambassadors and activities, interest in berry picking has increased. This resulted in more berries being sold to local organisations such as old people's homes and schools, an annual berry festival, an exchange of researchers within the Nordic Wild Berry R&D Network and an app to help local people find berries.

"Thanks to RISE support, we were able to organise ourselves and test our thesis during the 2024 berry season. Now I'm looking forward to more seasons where we can take care of our raw materials locally," says Gun Lidestav.

Tips for getting started with a local, more sustainable supply chain:

Dare to try! 
It's when you start asking you find out where the commitment lies.

"What we thought would be easy turned out to be difficult, and vice versa. But we wouldn't have learnt that if we hadn't tested and started with a real experiment," says Anna Molander.

A functioning infrastructure is essential. 
This is also one of the biggest challenges. How will the berries be taken care of, cleaned, packed, stored, etc.?

"I think this is where many initiatives die. It costs money to solve these problems, so it's important to have the right partnerships in place to make the funding go smoothly.

Building the right partnerships. 
How do we get industry on board? Who are the strong local players? Where are the enthusiasts?

"To test whether a value chain really works, you need to involve local stakeholders. And listen to the expertise we have," says Gun Lidestav.