New food and agricultural policy

A socialist party meeting held on July 4th adopted the following policy on food and agricultural matters:

The Socialist Party of Iceland wants agriculture to be redefined and a national consensus sought on what it entails and the value of the sector for the country's sustainability. This work will be carried out in close cooperation with farmers as well as residents of lands where some form of farming is practiced.

Farming means, in addition to animal husbandry and crop cultivation; the protection and cultivation of animals and plants, the production and processing of food, and the practice of many other related fields such as land reclamation, forestry, utilization of waters, wild plants and animals.

When revising the agricultural system, work shall be based on an ecological map or framework plan, which also builds on the local and master plans of each municipality and in cooperation with it. The location regarding food security shall also be considered, both in terms of natural resources, resources, and the country's sustainability in food procurement and production. If one region is cut off due to disaster, it must be possible to obtain necessary food elsewhere. Food prices shall then be affordable for the general public.

Emphasis in agriculture shall always be placed on organic farming to ensure human and animal health and a shorter value chain with a view to reducing the carbon footprint. Close attention shall also be paid to animal welfare monitoring, keeping all drug and chemical use to a minimum, and shortening distances traveled with animals for slaughter as much as possible, for example with mobile slaughterhouses.

Farmers' conditions shall be improved and they recognized as the important part of the nation's vanguard that they truly are, to ensure food security and sustainability. Innovation grants for farmers shall be increased, and favorable loans for projects, innovation, and new entrants shall also be offered.

Mutual respect between producers/farmers and users/consumers shall be promoted, among other things, by increasing general knowledge of the value of good food. Good ingredient descriptions shall be ensured for all food and opportunities for organic production increased. To ensure food safety, producers and transporters shall have access to good education, and products shall always be marked with detailed ingredient descriptions and quality expiration dates.

The agricultural system shall then be made fairer and more flexible regarding fees for certificates, such as for slaughter and other services, so that small production units or the traditional „family farm“ can survive.

Production units shall be reviewed with regard to environmental protection, and the incentive for farms to become too large shall be reduced. The operating environment for cooperative farms of two or more individuals shall be supported, and the scale of a medium-sized small business or family farm shall be taken into account.

The legal environment surrounding the establishment of cooperatives shall be improved so that the incentive to establish such associations becomes greater. This way, farmers can potentially reduce the influence of intermediaries on pricing and increase their cooperation. No profitability requirement shall be made in the operation of cooperative or ordering associations.

The quota transfer system shall be abolished, and quotas shall be linked to residency or a commitment to production, not a commodity that can be speculated with.

Imported food shall be subject to the same rules as domestic food regarding food safety and animal welfare, and thus competitiveness with active supervision and education, so that domestic production is not undermined and no discount is given on food safety and quality. To increase diversity in food production and provide farmers with more opportunities, electricity for greenhouse cultivation shall be subsidized where there is ample electricity. In addition, all regions shall be ensured adequate electricity, such as three-phase electricity and backup power stations. Ways shall be sought for residents of lands to increase the utilization of all types of environmentally friendly energy from flowing waters, still waters, and the sea near farms.

It shall be prevented that individuals or companies can accumulate farms and other land for ownership. To this end, restrictions such as residency requirements and quantity and size limitations on lands and areas shall be applied.

Free-ranging livestock shall be reduced, partly due to the risk of land degradation, and grazing rights on unproductive lands shall be abolished. Free-ranging livestock near national roads shall also be reduced where possible to prevent accidents and increase signage along roads for this purpose.

Farmers shall be enabled to engage in farming with other or more activities than the traditional ones, such as land reclamation, forestry, accommodation sales, restaurant sales, educational and entertainment activities such as zoo operations, fishing and processing of aquatic and marine products where applicable, and the utilization of wild plants and animals.

Greenhouse gas emissions shall then be significantly reduced, wetlands restored throughout the country, and forestry increased in accordance with the environmental and climate policy of the Socialist Party. All avenues shall be explored to ensure the ecosystem's cycle and the circular system function optimally, for example by utilizing soil from Sorpa's methane garden, and such processing shall be aimed for throughout the country.

The policy of a clean and healthy environment shall play a key role in agricultural matters in the spirit of circular thinking. Among other things, efforts shall be made to enable producers to produce domestic organic fertilizer and reduce the import of synthetic fertilizers. Opportunities to produce domestic concentrated feed shall also be increased, and feed imports reduced.

The policy of the Socialist Party of Iceland on food and agricultural matters is...

...that a national consensus on agriculture shall be sought.

...that an ecological map or framework plan for agriculture and land use from coast to mountain throughout the country shall be made.

...that emphasis shall be placed on a shorter value chain, environmental protection, animal welfare, sustainability, and organic farming in all agriculture.

...that food security shall be ensured in Iceland with stable and increased domestic food production and reasonable food prices.

...that farmers shall be guaranteed decent living and working conditions.

...that increased innovation grants shall be provided in agriculture with an emphasis on organic farming, and farmers shall be offered favorable loans for projects.

...that the agricultural system shall be made fairer and more flexible so that the opportunities for small production units to operate are increased.

...that during the revision of the agricultural system, animal welfare shall always be held in high regard and ensured that Iceland is at the forefront in this area.

...that an incentive shall be created to establish cooperatives and ordering associations where it will be possible to buy directly from the farm or for farmers to unite for feed and tool purchases.

...that access to the purchase and sale of food products and other farmer produce in the immediate vicinity of consumers shall be facilitated.

...that the agricultural quota system shall be revised and ensured that it never results in transferability, but rather that the quota is dependent on residency and a commitment to production.

...that supervision of imported food shall be increased, thereby ensuring the competitiveness of domestic products against imported ones. Food safety shall also be ensured through active supervision and education.

...that a discount on electricity for greenhouse cultivation shall be provided.

...that it shall be prevented that people and companies can accumulate farms and other land for ownership by imposing residency requirements or other restrictions.

...that free-ranging livestock shall be conditional and the land degradation it entails stopped.

...that forestry and land reclamation shall be significantly increased and distributed to more hands.

...that the use of pesticides and patented seeds in agriculture and road construction shall be completely prohibited, and plant and animal health surveillance shall always be well maintained to ensure food safety.