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Västerbottensost Photo: Paulina Holmgren / Västerbottensost
Food from Sweden means good food: safe, healthy, and great-tasting food We have farmers who know that high standards for animal welfare and the environment mean foods of high quality. As consumers we care more and more about what we eat. We do not just want safe and healthy food for our children – we want it for ourselves too. And any top chef today will tell you how vital quality is for taste. All this simply confirms that the way forward lies in the high quality and truly sustainable production of our food – both for the consumer of today and for the generations to come. There are more and more mouths to feed in the world. The UN predicts that by 2050 – so in one generation’s time – the world’s population will have risen by two billion to a total of 9.6 billion people. This means not just more consumers of 30 | Issue 85 | February 2016
food, but also increased sharing of the same resources. As part of this future, the Swedish government and I have great confidence in the roles our country’s food production and Sweden’s food industry will play. Competition in the food market is, of course, extremely fierce. But Sweden has unique conditions and advantages in producing quality products, as today’s consumers are becoming increasingly con-
scious. Our climate allows us to limit the use of chemicals. We have good access to those key resources of land and water, as well as to the key resource of welleducated and highly trained people working in agriculture: real professionals who are acutely aware of our responsibilities towards the environment and animals. Sweden is, for example, at the forefront globally in reducing the use of antibiotics for animals, and in understanding how that is linked to high standards in welfare. In the government, we see great potential in Swedish food, which is why we are taking a comprehensive and holistic ap-