Analyzing Local and Sustainable Food Options in Icelandic Communities: Locally Produced Fish and Vegetables

Abstract

With lower levels of local fish and vegetable consumption than recommended, Iceland faces a unique challenge in supporting globally recommended sustainable diets. Focusing on differences between rural and urban environments and answering: How can Icelandic communities better support sustainable diets through fish and vegetable products? This thesis first assesses the current Icelandic diet compared to the recommendations from both the FAO, and the EAT-Lancet report to identify the changes that need to occur. This shows the need for a large reduction in red meat consumption, as well as higher levels of local seafood and vegetable consumption. The availability of those foods in Iceland was assessed through a survey, asking participants to rate their availability in their home supermarket, and availability within supermarkets in the capital region was assessed through photos. Data was taken from statistics Iceland concerning the local production of both fish and vegetables for consumption within Iceland, suggesting the need for higher levels of local vegetable production, while fish production remained high with high levels of exportation. Survey results show the majority of respondents feeling as though they do have good access to fresh local vegetables, while roughly 1/3rd of respondents did not agree that they had good access to fresh local fish. Photo results indicate availability of these foods to be lower than expressed by respondents in the survey, with limited availability of both fresh local vegetables and fresh local fish. This research was then discussed with reference to a literature review, covering the associated factors of sustainable food systems to make recommendations for change, as well as offering possible explanations for the contradictory results seen in this study. This research adds to ongoing discussions surrounding food systems, as findings from this study show how a countries unique situation can greatly affect their ability to follow globalized guidelines.