Locating and utilizing Norwayʼs lost and underused agricultural land reserves (AGRILAND+)

Agricultural land is crucial for self-sufficiency and food security, while being a scarce resource in Norway. It is also an endangered resource, both because it is often built down in favor of housing development and infrastructure, and because it is more difficult to establish new agricultural land when climate considerations and biodiversity are to be safeguarded. Nevertheless, we also see that the amount of abandoned agricultural land is increasing year by year. This is happening despite the fact that it is legally required to ensure that the agricultural land is utilised, and despite the fact that various economic instruments have been established to safeguard this. So why is agricultural land abandoned? And if existing policy instruments are not working, what can be done to counteract this? 

AGRILAND+ investigates how abandoned agricultural land can be reintegrated into the agricultural system, as well as how to prevent further abandonment of agricultural land. The aim of the project is to contribute to strengthening food security by promoting better use of Norway’s underused reserves of agricultural land.