Friends Nora Villo-Karlsen and Amalie Fagerbakke in Horten take a good hold of the potato grass and pull up almond potatoes. – Oh! So many! They look in surprise at the small potatoes that emerge from the soil. FIRST ATTEMPT: Nora Villo-Karlsen and Amalie Fagerbakke think their own carrots taste best. Photo: Mette Stensholt Schau / news On a small plot of land they have grown potatoes, carrots and garlic. What the girls learn here can be decisive in the future. Norway has the lowest degree of self-sufficiency in the entire world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This means that we import more than half of what we eat. Urban agriculture In Kristiansand, they have berry bushes in the city that people can pick from. In Oslo there are buildings where food is grown on the roof. On the floors below you will find restaurants that serve food. All monners leave, says Olaug Bollestad (KrF). It was she who launched the idea of growing food in the city when she was Minister of Agriculture. – There could be a food shortage and then we need the knowledge the farmers have, says Bollestad. URBAN FARMER: Former Minister of Agriculture Olaug Bollestad is no stranger to growing food. Photo: KrF The advantages of growing food in central areas are many, she believes. Cities are becoming greener, people are becoming more active and social, and our health is also improving. In addition, we gain more knowledge about how we grow our own food. – In a longer perspective, we need this, says Bollestad. She hopes that young people in particular will be tempted to grow their own food. But it is not only the young who are bitten by the bacillus. – My husband is a city boy from Stavanger. Now he has started growing in boxes here at home, says Bollestad and laughs. We have to grow more In Horten, there was a waiting list when the municipality cleared an overgrown plot outside a high-rise block in the city. Here, townspeople were to be allowed to grow on their own small patch. PUBLIC HEALTH: Cultivating together also strengthens health, friendships arise and integration can be strengthened. Photo: Mette Stensholt Schau / news Nora persuaded mum Eli to apply for a plot of land. The family learns a lot here. Nora is happy to bring her friend Amalie there too. – It’s quite fun and you can use that in the future, says Amalie. She is thinking that food can be too expensive, not about war. That’s what other people do. The government is now working on a plan for total preparedness in Norway. That we have access to enough food is part of what is ensured. Food and health The friends in Horten go to a school that has its own garden. The girls will spend more time there in the future, and they are looking forward to it. They are looking forward to spending more time there throughout the autumn. This year they will work there when they have the subject “Food and health”. They have already had a jumpstart on the subject “Food and health” this summer. – That’s fun! says Nora. Also, she thinks her carrots taste better than the ones in the store. CULTIVATION IN THE CITY: Some have a view of the allotment garden and pop in every day. Photo: Mette Stensholt Schau / news
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Norway must grow more food – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
