Only 37 percent feel secure with Sweden's food supply in a crisis, according to a survey

18 November 2024 Press releases, 2024

In connection with MSB sending out the leaflet "In case of crisis or war" to millions of Swedish homes, Lantmännen presents worrying figures. Significantly fewer than half of Swedes, 37 percent, are secure with the Swedish food supply during crises. At the same time, more than nine out of ten say that Sweden should be more self-sufficient when it comes to food. This is shown by a Novus survey commissioned by Lantmännen.

Access to food is a central part of the country's crisis preparedness, which MSB clearly illustrates in the folder "In case of crisis or war". Today, only half of the food is produced in Sweden, which means that the so-called self-sufficiency rate is only 50 percent. Sweden's neighboring countries Finland and Denmark have 80 and 150 percent respectively.

"Our survey shows that the low degree of self-sufficiency creates anxiety and uncertainty. At the same time, there is a strong desire among the Swedish population to increase domestic food production and thus strengthen the supply capacity. Here, both politicians and market actors can make a difference. This includes increasing domestic production through more profitable agriculture in parallel with investments in strategic food storage and enabling the conditions for Swedish production of green mineral fertiliser," says Per Arfvidsson, Deputy CEO of Lantmännen.

There are good conditions for improvement, according to Lantmännen.

"First and foremost - Swedish farmers both want and can produce more food in Sweden. We have agriculture and food production at the forefront, and with the right measures, our assessment is that Sweden can accelerate production relatively quickly and in a sustainable way. If we can communicate the benefits in a clear way, and thus get more consumers to realize the value of choosing Swedish and buying farmer-owned, there is every opportunity for stronger food production in the country. In this way, we can together create a stronger crisis preparedness," concludes Per Arfvidsson.

Figures from the survey

- Only 37 percent feel secure with Sweden's food supply in a crisis
- More than nine out of ten, 97 percent, of Swedes think that Sweden should be more self-sufficient in food.
- More than half, 57 percent, want us to be completely self-sufficient. Today, only one in two foods consumed is Swedish.

About the survey

The survey was conducted by Novus on behalf of Lantmännen, via web interviews in Novus' randomly recruited Sweden panel, which guarantees representative results. The survey is based on 1,084 interviews conducted with the Swedish public aged 18-84 during the period 15-22 August 2024.

More from MSB

Read more about, and download, the folder "In case of crisis or war"

For more information, please contact:

Lantmännens press office
Tel: 010 556 88 00
E-post: [email protected]