Aðalsteinn Sigurgeirsson welcomed all participants and framed land use as a fundamental Nordic challenge requiring bridging policy and practice gaps. He stressed that private landowners are primary landscape stewards, and their participation is critical as land use must balance competing demands: Food security, renewable energy, carbon storage, biodiversity protection, and urban expansion. He called for innovative policy, radical transparency, and moving from competing interests to common ground for the next decade.
He explained the conference is backed by Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Agriculture, Food and Forestry to inform political and policy goals.