Modern life in the arctic is demanding considerable resources. Food stuffs are imported over long distances, which is costly and burns a lot of fuel. Many visitors get a bit nervous when they see the prices for food in the high north, and so-called fresh vegetables are not always as fresh as you might want.
Food waste is shredded and washed straight into the fjord together with waste water, altogether a great waste. Another solution would be highly desirable, both from an environmental and an economic perspective.
Thinking local food in the arctic, most people would probably have reindeer steaks on their mind, which is obviously not the solution. Local vegetables? Negative. Even the Russian (Sovjet, back then) settlements Barentsburg and Pyramiden were, in a way, more advanced, with considerable local production in greenhouses and stables for cows, pigs etc., most of which have been abandoned years ago.
But creative people are working on solutions to grow vegetables locally, fresh and environmentally friendly. A start up project called Polar Permaculture Solutions is developing techniques in Longyearbyen for advanced greenhouses to grow vegetables in permafrost areas without high energy and water consumption. First tests are promising: according to Polar Permafrost Solutions, parsley, coriander, basil, paprika, summer squash, mini corn, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, red chili peppers and more have already been grown successfully. Food waste is used to produce soil and fertilizer with biological techniques (sounds better than worms, but that’s what it is)
Fresh, tasty, local production and environmentally friendly – we are looking forward to see the further development!
Fresh vegetables of local production in Longyearbyen: so far an utopia, hopefully soon a reality that makes a lot of sense for the environment and economy.