Posts by Odd Roger Langørgen
New project researches climate-neutral agriculture in the EU
As part of the EU’s Green Deal and in line with the European Climate Act, the EU has set itself a binding goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The land use sector can play a vital role in achieving these goals, as it has greater potential for carbon sequestration than any other sector. It…
Read MoreComment: Access to feed is also food security
The use of new feed ingredients can solve this challenge, but at the same time the feed competition with livestock in agriculture might increase. Nevertheless, more use of Norwegian-based feed ingredients can strengthen food security. A report from Nofima shows that in 2020, 8 per cent of the volume of feed used for salmon feed…
Read MoreBetter drying techniques can reduce food waste
In the two Asian mountain countries of Nepal and Bhutan, large parts of the population live outside cities, and agriculture is the most important source of income for most. A common problem is that large parts of the crops are lost after harvest, because the farmers lack the facilities and technology to store and preserve…
Read MoreThe new oil
News from the Bioshare-project: Anne Margrete Brigham (Ruralis) and Jonathon Moses’ (NTNU) article from the Norwegian Journal of Political Science has been translated into English on the blog https://slimemoldtimemold.com/2022/05/17/norway-the-once-and-future-georgist-kingdom/ and was released on Norway’s constitution day, 17th of May celebrating both the National day and how Norway has succeeded in developing a welfare state combining…
Read MoreThe Grain, the War and our Food Security
War breeds food shortages, food shortages breed war. But it’s more complicated than that. Today, the war in Ukraine is triggering what could be the third and worst global food crisis since World War II. This has brought the debate on grain storage to the top of the political agenda. The first food and raw…
Read MoreArtificial meat as a mirror of society
Such products, it is said, will be able to provide future consumers with affordable and satisfactory alternatives to ‘conventional’ meat and alleviate concerns about the meat’s consequences for animal welfare or climate change. In a decade, the production price of an artificial burger has dropped from €250,000 to around 10. A pilot plant and test…
Read MoreRuralis research on gender and equity in EU project
EmpowerUs has a framework of NOK 60 million over three years, and it will take place in coastal communities in six different countries. The project is led by Nordland Research, with Ruralis as a co-collaborator with responsibilities across several parts of the project. The aim of EmpowerUs is to develop tools and methods so that…
Read MoreNow you can test whether new technology is ready to be used
By Bjørg Bruset The new balanced readiness level assessment (BRLa) calculator will help developers, equipment dealers, incubators and consultants assess a product’s technological, market, legal, societal and organizational maturity. The readiness calculator can be used for free by anyone. Results can be cited as from the “Ruralis readiness calculator”. The calculator has been developed for…
Read MoreKick-off for the development of new solutions in the feeding system
The two-day meeting was held virtually this December after the corona situation indicated that a physical start-up meeting could not go ahead. The energy and commitment among the 45 participants was nevertheless high, and everything is in place for further collaboration that is both professionally innovative and highly relevant for politics and industry. The project…
Read MoreNordic conference for rural research: Finland, Spring 2022
The Nordic conference for rural research is an interdisciplinary forum with an emphasis on research relevant to the Nordic countries. The conference’s website with important dates, other information and, eventually, possibilities for registration, is to be found here: https://sites.uef.fi/ruralities/ Please note that the deadline for submitting proposals for working groups is December 12th 2021.
Read MoreWhat do we do with resistant bacteria in agriculture?
The use of antibiotics in Norwegian agriculture has been cut by 44 per cent since 1995, but this has not been enough to prevent bacteria in domestic animals from developing resistance to antibiotics (so-called ‘antimicrobial resistance’). In 2013, bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were detected in pigs and poultry, and costly measures were implemented to counter this threat. But more fundamental steps are needed…
Read MoreResearch will help farmers with substance abuse problems
Studies show that farmers have poorer mental health than other groups in the population, and that their mental health has deteriorated in recent years. Male farmers are less likely to seek health and medical help for anxiety, alcohol problems and drug use than other men, according to research in countries comparable to Norway. The reasons are several and complex. Finding and evaluating measures We will…
Read MoreTo develop agricultural advice with a long-term perspective
Many farmers are pondering what to do in the future – new investment, maintenance or downsizing? From Ruralis’s Trend survey in 2020, we know that 27 per cent of farmers have invested more than a million kroner in buildings, machinery or other infrastructure over the past five years. There is a lot of uncertainty, even if the investment turns out to be financially justifiable. A farmer in one of our…
Read MoreCorona can make nature-based tourism flourish
Summer is upon us, and this year coronavirus is forcing most of us to take our vacations in our home country. This represents a crisis for large parts of the tourism industry worldwide – and Norway is no exception – but some companies can prosper from the situation. The market in Norway is huge. Tourists are now increasingly looking for destinations that have not been ‘discovered’ in order to get unique nature experiences,…
Read MoreCOVID-19 intensifies hunger among refugees
Refugees are often the most vulnerable to crises, no matter where in the world they are. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expects that the corona pandemic will weaken food security for refugees and internally displaced persons. Cuts rations by 40 percent Uganda is home to about 1.4 million refugees and is thus among…
Read MoreScaring elks to avoid train accidents
It takes about a kilometer for a train at full speed to stop. To date we have not been able to solve the dangers of elks or other types of deer entering the railway track. Animal collisions pose major challenges for society, animal welfare, animal owners, railway companies, and not least for train drivers. In…
Read More“The good farmer” is motivated by more than just money
Norwegian agriculture faces mounting pressures, both economically and socially. Cultural motivations for preserving cultural landscapes and biological diversity will most likely become increasingly important. – In many cases, researchers wonder why farmers continue to run their farms despite agriculture’s low profitability. The “good farmer”-approach claims that farmers remain in agriculture because they receive non-monetary rewards.…
Read MoreDeveloping tools for a more climate friendly agricultural policy
European agricultural policy must contribute to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. A new generation of modelling tools are required to study the consequences of, and to provide a better basis for, decision-making. The newly established EU project – MIND STEP – funded by Horizon 2020 will develop such new tools. Climate, sustainability and…
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