Arctic Food Innovation Cluster (AFIC)

The Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster (AFIC) project pulls together relevant people in the Arctic foods value chain for a cluster-based approach to food production and regional economic development. We understand food production to encompass traditional, artisanal, and industry-scale production of natural resources into food for own, national, and international consumption. We understand food innovation to encompass 1) new modes of production and consumption patterns, e.g. introduction of hydroponics or aquaponics farming; and 2) new production and consumption of non-food products, e.g. using waste products from the seafood sector to produce medicine or fabrics (Ocean Cluster in Iceland) or seaweed production as both food source and CO2 sequestration (Ocean Rainforest in the Faroe Islands).

Despite the growth in commercial food production in the Arctic, there remain a considerable number of constraints to industry development, including lack of necessary infrastructure, fragmented supply chains, limited access to a skilled workforce, absence of innovation in product development, and limited access to, and knowledge of, domestic markets and consumer interest. These conditions have in part led to an overreliance on raw food exports and limited innovation in primary and secondary product development.

This project was designed to identify how best to overcome these constraints and introduce new innovations into the Arctic food system. More specifically, we set out to learn the essential elements of an Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster (AFIC). The AFIC project was conducted through four iterative stages:

1. Stage One involved the conduct of two feasibility assessments that examines the constraints and opportunities associated with establishing the AFIC.
2. In Stage Two, ‘Arctic Consultations’ conducted in regions and communities where stakeholders are invited to engage and contribute their views and thoughts around values and priority areas for an AFIC.
3. Stage Three (AFIC Design) focused on developing strategies for knowledge transfer and strategies to facilitate innovations within the Arctic food systems.
4. Stage Four (Recommendations and Implementation) focused on identifying partnerships and strategic linkages with other relevant clusters, while attending to the central role of Indigenous and local economic and cultural values.

The AFIC project is a follow on project from the U.S. and Finnish Chairmanships (2015-2017, 2017-2019).

Endorsed SDWG proposal available HERE.