Sweden is currently about 50 per cent self-sufficient, a relatively low figure compared with Finland's 80 per cent, for example. Aiming for greater self-sufficiency is important to strengthen our resilience in crises like the current one - but it can also be a way to become more efficient, more sustainable and to find new business in normal times.

Security of supply is important all along the food chain

High food security is about what and how we grow, harvest, handle, preserve and store food raw materials. It is also about how we process, manufacture, store and transport the food we produce.

In normal times, increased production here at home is an opportunity to steer food production towards better management of resources, lower climate impact and stable jobs - and not least a chance to increase exports of Swedish quality goods.

But a higher degree of self-sufficiency also provides greater resilience to various types of change, such as temporary shortages of raw materials and inputs, or disruptions in the logistics chain during crises, emergencies and, ultimately, war.

"In the best of all possible worlds, import and export systems will work in the face of disruption, but if they don't, we need to ensure that we have the supply capacity to meet production and distribution needs. And to be resilient, we need the whole food industry, including both primary production and the food processing industry," says Birgitta Raaholt, senior researcher at RISE in the area of supply preparedness and resource-smart manufacturing technology.

"The whole industry therefore needs to be updated and prepared. The various stakeholders are working together with RISE – which acts as a knowledge hub – on everything from identifying replacement goods, alternative production of spare parts, food safety in the event of disruptions in the regular supply chain, finding ways to safeguard operations in the event of disruptions, risk analysis (see fact box).

It's not just about what we produce, but how we use the resources we need to do it. Resource efficiency is important for both livelihoods and sustainability - how we make the best use of resources when, for example, energy and water are scarce.

"This goes hand in hand with both resilience and sustainability perspectives", says Birgitta Raaholt.

Robust, sustainable and safe food production

In terms of our ability to gently produce safe food that can withstand storage and transport, there are several advantages to using new technologies for food production.

"These include making greater use of certain crops that were previously used less for food processing and more for animal feed. Conserving a resource may mean using more energy-efficient baking and drying techniques. And that it might be wise to use peas on the plate instead of making flour from them to make a product that looks like sausage," says Birgitta Raaholt.

Resilience is about our food system being able to cope with "a bit of a wobble". Some production is more resilient, says Birgitta Raaholt, pointing to livestock as an example.

"Our livestock graze and are still there when the power goes out. The same goes for a food like eggs, which can be kept at room temperature even if the power goes out. Processed foods include UHT milk and highly pasteurised, sterilised or dehydrated foods."

However, food production also depends on a range of so-called inputs, such as seeds, fertilisers, fuels and agricultural pesticides.

"For example, we can look at the domestic production of plant nutrients. In food processing, it's about production readiness and access to raw materials, packaging, refrigerants... But also the ability to maintain a functioning infrastructure and comply with regulations on safe food and food handling," says Birgitta Raaholt.

Modern – and traditional – storage methods needed

Both large and small players in the food industry are now using modern storage techniques. But households also need to know more about how to ensure that they are prepared at home, and how to store food sustainably and well.

"This is something we need to work on more. In normal times it's easy to go to the shops and buy what we need, but we still need to have an emergency plan at home. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency has put a lot of pressure on this, so that everyone who is able should be able to cope for a week," says Birgitta Raaholt.

The next step is for the transport and logistics chain to function. Both for the arrival of the goods and as part of food safety – that is, the food has to be transported and stored properly until it reaches the person who will eat it.

"If you have disruptions that bring the system down, this places additional demands on the robustness of the chain. For example, if you don't have the power to keep the cold chain going, people can get sick. Packaging is also necessary to store and maintain the quality of food, as are pasteurisation and drying processes."

Flexible preparedness is one way

The global pandemics of recent years have given us several examples of how preparedness can be about the ability to quickly adjust production to obtain key commodities. Often this involves cooperation between different actors.

"One concept we are working on together with industry is flexible preparedness. It's about how industrial production in Sweden can adapt during a crisis. It could be things like a number of companies working together to develop strategies for production, as we saw with face masks during the pandemic. It is conceivable that similar solutions can be implemented in the food industry," says Birgitta Raaholt.

"Much of our work focuses on technical solutions for production transition and collaborative models for flexible preparedness. This may involve managing service and maintenance, or manufacturing the spare parts needed in the food industry. Strategies for storage and resource-efficient manufacturing are also necessary elements of resilient food production."

Only the first part of the production chain, agriculture, accounts for about 13 percent of the total Swedish greenhouse gas emissions. 

"Since such a large part of the climate impact lies early, it is important that farmers take advantage of as much of the raw materials as possible in the initial stages," says Emma Holtz, Head of Unit for Sustainable Consumption and Production at RISE. 

But as important as it is for farmers to take advantage of the entire raw material, it is equally important for food producers and meal suppliers to make the most of a food to reduce food waste. For example, using by-products and residual flows that arise during production to make new food products or dishes instead of throwing away what is left over. 

The food producer who wants to act to reduce their climate footprint should start by mapping their own operations to learn what causes the greatest impact and from there set goals and draw up action plans, according to Emma Holtz. 

Proof of the impact of climate action 

By quantifying their climate impact – and systematically following up the results – the food producer gets a receipt for the effect of the measures they are implementing. 

"Take the opportunity to take advantage of resources in a more efficient way. Also review other areas such as fossil-free energy solutions in the manufacturing process. Thanks to today's technology, for example, there are opportunities to make more climate-adapted logistics and material choices for packaging," says Emma Holtz. 

Britta Florén, senior project manager at RISE, has extensive experience in identifying climate-improving measures. Collaboration has proven to be a key factor in being able to identify solutions and have more effect on their climate work. 

“Make sure to maintain an active dialogue with your suppliers. For example, require them to use renewable energy sources in their production. Their climate measures affect your business and contribute to a reduced climate footprint for both of you,” says Britta Florén. 

Strategically important to promote improvements 

She also emphasizes how strategically important it is to talk about the climate measures that are being taken – of course in a genuine and transparent way. 

Internally to engage the entire staff in climate work, and externally aimed at actors in the food industry and consumers - in interviews with the media, in their own channels or why not on their own packaging. 

“Setting a good example and being a forerunner contributes to a positive change in the entire industry, whilst simultaneously strengthening your own brand,” says Britta Florén. 

A concrete example is Swedish greenhouse cultivation. The growers have inspired each other all over the country and oil-fired boilers have been replaced with biofuel that heats tomatoes, cucumbers and other things that germinate. According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, fossil fuels in greenhouses have decreased from 77 percent (in 2002) to 13 (in 2020). 

International frameworks to keep track of 

For those who want to take continued climate-smart steps, there are international frameworks to relate to, where especially Science Based Targets (SBT) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol are in focus. In order to work with surveys and goals in accordance with the frameworks, there is knowledge and experience at RISE to use. 

Smaller companies may need to work in a simplified way. The experts at RISE can then help them make relevant priorities. 

"We coach them, provide them with knowledge and methods to facilitate climate work, and companies can also learn a lot from each other by exchanging experiences," says Britta Florén. 

In the long run, there is much to suggest that it will be easier to compete in the market with climate-adapted products, among other things because consumers are becoming more and more aware of the opportunity to influence through their choices. Perhaps the companies' product portfolios can be expanded and changed with more climate-smart ingredients? Most often, the most important climate measures are linked to the climate raw material, but Britta Florén believes that it is crucial to have a holistic view of the entire production chain in order to prioritize the right changes that really matter. 

How we produce and consume food affects all three dimensions that are necessary for sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. A transformation of the food system is a prerequisite for achieving the UN's global sustainability goals, the national environmental goals and the public health goals.  

The above is the conclusion of Dag Sjöholm, Research and Business Developer at RISE. According to him, there are two clear goal conflicts when it comes to the transition that are important to relate to. The first concerns the production of food: 

"More and more agricultural and food actors are making a real effort to reduce their climate impact. If it is to succeed fully, for example by harvesting more, to get more food out of each square meter, it is unfortunately in conflict with biodiversity and the protection of nature,” says Ulf Sonesson. 

Different crops are grown together 

"In the longer term, the conflict may not be as clear. But in that case, it requires us to develop production methods that create a much greater variety in the agricultural landscape, for example by growing different crops together in the same field. In order for this to be possible, we need to learn more about how the development of different crops can be predicted and controlled. 

The other major conflict of objectives concerns us consumers and is between the range of food in the stores and what we feel good about eating.” 

"Globally, increased prosperity has initially contributed to us eating better when hunger is fought. But quite quickly, an increase in prosperity means that the diet deteriorates. More fast food, sugar and fat. The second trend is the vegetarian and vegan diet. It is climate-efficient, but requires more knowledge from the consumer to provide all the nutrition you need. 

Reduced amount of chemical pesticides 

A food operator wanting to avoid the blind spots can use RISE's guidance. The first step, according to Ulf Sonesson, can be to acquire enough knowledge to decide whether it is conventional or organic farming that you should invest in. For example, for cereal cultivation, conventional agriculture provides better performance for many environmental aspects compared to organic farming. 

"It is possible to develop cereal cultivation in a more ecosystem-friendly direction by reducing the use of chemical pesticides with the help of sensors, AI and precision agriculture. By providing a small shower exactly where a weed is located instead of spraying an entire surface, the use of pesticides can be reduced by up to 90 percent. 

Replacing today's bigmachines with several small autonomous vehicles can in the future lead to a more varied agricultural landscape at the same time as profitability can increase,” Ulf Sonesson believes.

The result: Projects that create economic drivers to transition 

To take into account all aspects, RISE maintains interdisciplinary approaches. The result is projects that create economic drivers for sustainability. Sonesson exemplifies with a project that aims to reduce a major player's climate impact in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. RISE contributes with life cycle analyses and other calculation data to quantify the actor's future production system. In the next step, a product and concept development is done to create added value that consumers want to pay for. 

"I usually say that we are a guide in the transition jungle. It is possible to build the food system of the future on today's knowledge.” But we must learn to use the knowledge smarter. Here, parts of the meat and dairy industry are forerunners. Many companies in that sector today see the transition as a business opportunity.