Introduction
Aquatic foods as a strategic resource and nutritional cornerstone in the Nordic region
Aquatic foods play a central role in the Nordic food system, both as a crucial source of nutrition and as an essential component of regional and global trade. The Nordic region is home to some of the world’s most significant producers, processors, and exporters of seafood, while at the same time being embedded in complex international value chains that create both strengths and vulnerabilities.
The report brings together two perspectives: the structure of Nordic seafood value chains and the factors that shape consumer choices. Although the Nordic countries collectively produce a substantial surplus of aquatic foods, actual consumption in the Nordic population remains below the levels recommended in the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR 2023). Strengthening Nordic food security and public health, therefore, requires understanding how food flows through the system and the factors that shape consumer choices at the dinner table.
Part 1: Aquatic food systems, food security, and preparedness
This first part describes the Nordic aquatic food system and sets out why it matters for preparedness. It maps production, processing, and trade in each country and shows how the region’s role as a major producer and exporter sits alongside structural dependencies outside the Nordics. The country chapters and the Nordic synthesis together document how globalisation runs through the value chain, from feed inputs and outsourced processing to concentrated export markets, and how this shapes actual availability in the region.
The material also shows a clear structural asymmetry: large producing nations in the North Atlantic versus more populous markets further south that depend on imports and on processing foreign raw material. Across countries, recurring bottlenecks include reliance on imported feed ingredients, limited regional processing capacity for domestic raw materials, and biological and regulatory constraints linked to overfishing and the absence of stable coastal state agreements for key pelagic stocks.
Taken together, Part 1 provides a factual baseline for preparedness work: what is produced where, how volumes move, and which dependencies may bind under stress. It points to concrete next steps, diversifying feed sources, improving regional processing capacity, strengthening stock management, and the value of stress‑testing Nordic supply chains to identify practical choke points before a crisis
Part 2: Challenges and opportunities for increasing consumption
Building on this systemic overview, the second part of the report examines consumer behaviour and the opportunities for increasing consumption. Despite the region’s formidable biophysical capacity for self-sufficiency, access for ordinary consumers is uneven and shaped by export-oriented value chains.
Using the Aquatic Food Choice Framework, this section analyses the cultural, individual, and product-related factors that influence Nordic consumers’ dietary choices. It discusses barriers such as limited cooking skills, price developments, and neophobia, as well as opportunities to diversify consumption toward underutilised species. The analysis aligns with EU initiatives to promote healthier, more sustainable food choices, offering concrete recommendations for policy measures, from nudges and information campaigns to regulatory interventions, that can help close the gap between current intake and nutritional recommendations.
Summary and objectives
Taken together, the two parts of the report provide an overall picture of aquatic foods in the Nordic region. By linking insights into the structure and flows of Nordic aquatic food systems with knowledge of consumer behaviour, the report lays the foundation for a coordinated Nordic food strategy. The aim is to show how the region’s strong seafood position can support a stable food supply during crises while also promoting healthier, more sustainable diets in everyday life.