Agricultural and Food Affairs

Policy accepted June 3, 2020

That a national consensus be sought on agriculture.

That an ecological map or a framework plan for agriculture and land use from coast to mountain be made nationwide.

That food security is ensured in Iceland with stable and increased domestic food production and reasonable food prices.

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

Upon revision of the agricultural system, animal welfare shall always be held in high regard and ensure that Ísland is at the forefront.

To facilitate access to the purchase and sale of food products and other produce from farmers in the consumers' local environment.

To increase surveillance of imported food products and thereby ensure the competitiveness of domestic products against imported ones. Food safety shall then be ensured through active monitoring and education.

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

That farmers are guaranteed decent living and working conditions.

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

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

That the agricultural quota system be reviewed and ensured that it never results in the transfer of quotas, but that the quota is dependent on residency and a commitment to production.

That a discount be granted on electricity for greenhouse cultivation.

That free-ranging livestock be regulated and the land degradation it causes be halted.

That the use of toxic chemicals and the use of patented seeds in agriculture and road construction be completely prohibited, and that plant and animal health surveillance always be well taken care of so that food security is ensured.

To prevent people and companies from accumulating farms and other land for ownership by imposing a farming obligation or other restrictions.

That afforestation and land reclamation be significantly increased and put into more hands.

Additional content

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 shall be carried out in close cooperation with farmers as well as residents of lands where farming of any kind 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 numerous 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. Furthermore, location shall also be considered regarding food security, both in terms of natural resources, resources, and the country's sustainability in food procurement and production. If one part of the country 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 the health of humans and animals and a shorter value chain with a view to reducing the carbon footprint. Close attention shall also be paid to animal welfare supervision, keeping all use of medicines and chemicals to a minimum, and shortening distances traveled with animals for slaughter as much as possible, for example with mobile slaughterhouses.

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

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

Furthermore, the agricultural system shall be made fairer and more flexible regarding fees for certificates, such as for slaughter and other matters, 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 for establishing such associations becomes greater. This way, farmers can potentially reduce the influence of intermediaries on pricing and increase their cooperation. No profit requirement shall be made in the operation of cooperatives or ordering associations.

The transferable quota 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 products shall be subject to the same rules as domestic ones 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 in the sea near farms.

It shall be prevented that individuals or companies can accumulate farms and other land for ownership. For this purpose, restrictions such as residency requirements and number and size limitations on lands and territories shall be applied.

The free roaming of livestock shall be reduced, partly due to the risk of land degradation, and grazing rights on unproductive lands shall be abolished. Furthermore, the free roaming of livestock near main 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.

Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions shall 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 the aim shall be for such processing 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 shall also be increased to produce domestic compound feed and reduce the import of feed.