Arctic Food Arena
Welcome to Arctic Food Arena. We are exploring the potential of diversified circular food production in the North of Sweden including the innovative use of residuals from green industries. And we do it by building a network of committed people and facilitating diverse collaborations.
Upcoming event 2025!
Symbios
– från rest till resurs
19/3 Boden Business Park
Arbetar du inom livsmedelssektorn? Välkommen till en dag där vi tillsammans undersöker möjligheterna kring hur en verksamhets rest kan bli en annans resurs och vad som krävs för att få fart på fler cirkulära affärssamarbeten i norra Sverige – en fullspäckad dag med exempel från verkligheten och aktuella initiativ inom livsmedelsområdet.
A new food order
The world
We are witnessing the dawn of a new industrial age. The world economy’s dependency on fossil fuels is coming to an end, and the transformation to alternative energy and material resources are changing everything. At the same time, we need to start working circular and restore our ecosystems. Everything with a focus on social justice. The implications cannot be underestimated.
North Sweden
As an answer to the challenges and market opportunities created by the sustainability transformation, many new large scale industrial developments are being planned and built in the North of Sweden. The production of hydrogen gas, fossil-free steel and batteries using rare-earth minerals and phosphorous from the local mines, are just a few examples. The future is up north!
Arctic Food
In Gällivare, the home of LKAB's, Vattenfall's, and SSAB's Hybrit technology as well as LKAB's forthcoming production facility of fossil-free iron sponge, a unique opportunity is on the horizon. The volumes of residual streams from different industries give us the possibility of redefining food production, with inputs locally sourced, through fossil-free value chains.
New report: Value Creation in Circular Food Production
At Arctic Food Arena's first co-creation workshop in Gällivare (2024), the need to explore real-life examples to properly understand how circular food production can thrive in the Arctic was emphasized. This led to the creation of this brand-new value chain report that focus on four key areas: greenhouse production, insect farming, aquaponics, and RAS shrimp farming. All four sectors show strong potential for circular value chains in northern Sweden.
Why the Arctic?
Counter intuitive as it might seem, the arctic is a very promising place for the food industry. Primary production as well as processing and manufacturing. The fresh water, renewable energy, rail and road infrastructure, energy intensive industries creating powerful waste streams, and a cold climate creating a certain kind of terroir are some of the region’s assets. The nature, a leisurable way of life with an enviable work-life-balance, the light and lots of sun (in the summer) constitute other types of attraction. Visit Invest in Norrbotten to learn more about the opportunities in Norrbotten (new window).
Next step: You
What we need right now is people who want to be part of this journey. We have decided to give it a serious try, in the firm belief that together with a diverse group of food entrepreneurs, industrialists, scientists and enthusiasts, we can make this happen. Visionaries, thinkers, doers and funders. New and old insights.
– This initiative is truly groundbreaking. Northern Sweden is leading the way in exciting developments, and it's fascinating to see the progress that have been made in sustainability here.