What will the next crisis be, and how can we be better prepared? On March 12, 2021, a national lockdown was announced by the Norwegian government as a measure to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a consequence, many Norwegians hoarded food and goods, causing temporary shortages of everyday household products in grocery stores despite having been told by national authorities and the food industry that Norway’s food supply was not under threat. However, in the event of a different type of crisis, how long would Norway’s food supply last, and how many people could it feed? Is there a lack of information and transparency on a topic that concerns us all?
Numbers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) show that Norway has one of the lowest food self-sufficiency rates among all countries in the world. According to the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), the self-sufficiency rate of Norway, excluding the export of fish and import of animal feed, is currently at 36% (2019). Since 1979, the production of vegetables in Norway has been reduced by almost 50% (NIBIO). This shows that Norway is becoming increasingly dependent on imported food. At the same time, food storages are becoming larger and fewer, increasing the distance between production and storage and from storage to consumer. If this trend continues, food security in Norway could become vulnerable and dependent upon uninterrupted infrastructure, including during an emergency.
The Keyserløkka Food Loop project proposes a preparedness strategy to prevent and respond to potential food shortages in the event of a major disaster in Oslo. The strategy is based on a decentralized model with local hubs for production, storage, and distribution and is meant to contribute to the discussion of whether Oslo’s contingency plans have adequately accounted for food security and how it fits into the everyday lives of Oslo’s inhabitants. The Keyserløkka Food Loop project further explores whether the architecture of food security can become a subject of public knowledge, increasing the awareness of sustainable food production, consumption, and waste reduction.