Strategy for Developing New Businesses in Agriculture

Summary

The strategy aims at fulfilling the objectives of the Norwegian agriculture policy which is to preserve the districts communities, increase profitability in agriculture, increase quality of life and ensure sustainable management of nature resources.

The main object of the strategy is:
“To develop existing and establish new businesses with increased profitability, by using the multitude of human and material resources in agriculture.”

Representatives from agricultural organizations, The Norwegian Agricultural Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food have jointly developed this strategy. The strategy is valid until 2009.

The areas subject to the strategy are:

1. Food
2. Organic production and consumption
3. Wood
4. Bio energy
5. Tourism and adventure production
6. Green care farming

In addition to the areas listed above there is also emphasis on domestic fisheries, hydroelectric power and green services.

1. Food
Target: “Increased profitability based on raw materials from the Norwegian agriculture”

Sub strategies:
1.1 Contribute to updating and renewal of systems to reduce costs in volume oriented primary production
1.2 Contribute to innovation, development of Norwegian food culture, development of competence and R&D
1.3 Development of branding, increased market access and improved distribution chains?

2. Organic Production and Consumption of Food
Target: “15 percent of the food production and the food consumption shall be organic in 2015”

Sub strategies:
2.1 Contribute to development of organic production and consumption with a core focus on establishing a consciousness of organic food in other sectors
2.2 Contribute to development of markets and increased consumption of organic food in private and public sector
2.3 Ensure that most of the organic groceries sold originate from Norwegian production

3. Wood
Target: “Increased consumption of wood and profitability in the whole value-chain.”

Sub strategies:
3.1 Development of businesses in the wood-based value-chain
3.2 Develop innovation systems
3.3 Visibility, profiling and communication of wood as a resource
3.4 Contribute to establishment of policies that will enable increased profitability in the value-chain

4. Bio Energy
Target: “Increased employment and revenues in agriculture and related businesses.”

Sub strategies:
4.1 Develop value-chains for bio energy
4.2 Realize the potential for increased production and consumption of bio energy through investments in fuel production and heating plants
4.3 Visibility, profiling and communication of opportunities related to increased use of bio energy
4.4 Contribute to politics that increases the area of action to establish new businesses
4.5 Increased R&D to develop cost effective methods of operation and new or improved technology

5. Tourism and Adventure Production
Target: “Increased profitability based on food, culture, nature and activity-based adventures.”

Sub strategies:
5.1 Development, preservation and utilization of the agricultural advantages in the tourism market and create awareness about these advantages
5.2 Product development and product packing
5.3 Improvement of quality and development of competence
5.4 Profiling, marketing and sales
5.5 Alliances, collaboration and network

6. Green Care farming
Target: “Increased profitability through long-term agreements for good quality secured services.”

Sub strategies:
6.1 Development of profitable, quality secured and market oriented services
6.2 Quality systems and development of competence
6.3 Alliances, collaboration and network

Clarification of roles in implementation of the strategy
The best results will be achieved through a good regional foundation of the development work in close collaboration with national priorities and framework.

Role division – central/regional level
The governments and authority bodies have the main responsibility to establish frameworks that contribute to profitability in businesses.

The business actors have to implement development projects and innovations within and related to agriculture and in collaboration with the Unions they must contribute to establish politics with means achieving the needs of future markets.

The authority bodies must be in dialogue with the business actors, to establish effective systems and routines for handling the different measures. It is assumed that regional public actors choose an active adaptational and operational role.

For further details about the plan of action, please contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Food at phone +47 22 24 90 90 or e-mail postmottak@lmd.dep.no