There are many role models for sustainable, high-quality food production in the Nordics and many exciting developments. However, there is a need for strengthening the Nordic collaboration around sustainable principles, both within our region and abroad.
In southern Europe, government-backed classification schemes and labels such as Label Rouge, AOC, Produits de montagne and the like help raise the level of transparency and quality consciousness in the marketplace. This ultimately helps smaller producers scale their production and favours innovation and diversity. In the Nordics, we have yet to implement similar schemes.
We propose the development of a set of principles and a network to support them. We call this The North Star of food production. Its aim is to create a common understanding among primary producers in the Nordic countries that can, like the North Star did for the sailors, guide those who strive to improve the Nordic food sector. As a certification scheme, such an initiative would strengthen the Nordic brand and position within the region and abroad.
We suggest engaging agricultural and fishery organisations, national politicians and academia, through the Nordic Council of Ministers, in the development of a set of guiding principles and standards, using the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto as a starting point and encompassing values such as taste, circularity, animal welfare, and a distinct connection to the Nordic climate, landscapes, plant and animal varieties and/or farming and culinary traditions. An important focus when defining the specific principles would be to set clear criteria that, on the one hand, amount to a key seal of approval, something that sets North Star products apart, while on the other hand remaining inclusive enough to gain a broad foothold in the Nordic food landscape. The intention is not to create a luxury label.
The guiding principles should form a basis for a certification scheme for producers, allowing them to market products under the North Star. To ensure the impact of this initiative, we propose establishing financial support to ensure the principles thrive and are implemented, as well as establishing a Nordic collaborative network among North Star primary producers – and those aspiring to the standard. Through this network, producers would be able to pitch ideas on how to target sustainable, circular production of high-quality Nordic ingredients and products. Ideally, the North Star scheme would include a research initiative to define and describe sensory qualities associated with the local terroir and specific varieties of produce distinct to different areas in our region using the French AOC as a template.
This would help establish the Nordics as a distinct food-producing region and a global leader on food quality, beyond just sustainability. The North Star would strengthen the Nordic brand both locally and for export markets, improving understanding, trust and collaboration within our region. A successful implementation of this initiative would improve economic and environmental sustainability for the small-scale, local primary producers and ensure increased access to these delicious products for consumers in the Nordic countries and abroad, thus boosting Nordic competitiveness.
Government backing for the development process outlined above and the continued stewardship of the certification and label scheme would ensure independence and legitimacy, following the example of schemes such as Label Rouge. It could be viewed as an investment in Nordic competitiveness.