With temperatures on the rise, new opportunities for Arctic food and fodder production emerge.
By Kathrine Torday Gulden, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
For large parts of the world, climate change poses a serious threat to agriculture, and hence to global food security.
Further north, despite challenges such as unstable winters and increased autumn precipitation, the predicted effects of climate change are more uplifting – at least for agriculture. In Arctic regions, warmer temperatures and a longer growing season are expected to lead to new possibilities as far as food and fodder production is concerned.
Light summers and warmer winters
The natural light above the Arctic Circle creates special growing conditions for plants. Low solar elevations, long daily light periods, and the absence of dark nights during the spring and summer months affect the growth and metabolism of plants in a unique way.
“Very long daily photosynthetic light periods during the midnight sun period allow for more rapid development and growth in crops grown at high latitudes,” explains Dr Jørgen Mølmann at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO).
“Along with the predicted increase of temperatures due to global warming, leading to earlier snow melt and ground thaw in spring, we expect a longer Arctic growth season, especially in May and June when the light conditions are at their most optimal.”
Jørgen Mølmann, NIBIO
For Norway’s northernmost regions, projected scenarios show that the temperature increase will be greatest during the winter season, and less significant during the growing season. Some coastal regions can expect an average winter temperature of above 0°C towards the year 2100, whereas the average in Arctic inland areas will rise to just below freezing.
“Warmer and wetter winters shorten the winter season and prolong the growing season, which give rise to new opportunities. Among other things, this includes higher annual yield with several harvests, along with the possibility to grow new, more productive crop varieties and species.”
Dr Sigridur Dalmannsdottir, NIBIO
The impacts of increased agriculture in the High North are expected to vary both within and between municipalities, which will therefore require individual adaptive strategies. However, most of these strategies are likely to have an agronomical basis that farmers in the region are well suited to cope with, so that they can utilise the longer growth period coinciding with the 24-hour daily photosynthesis offered by the midnight sun.
How will climate change affect Arctic agriculture? For large parts of the world, climate change poses a serious threat to agriculture, and hence to global food security. Further north, despite challenges such as unstable winters and increased autumn precipitation, the predicted effects of climate change are more uplifting – at least for agriculture. A longer growing season also means a longer grazing season, which in turn can lead to increased pasture production. Read the full story in Fram Forum.