Rural affairs, agriculture and food production

On 2–3 June, ministers, decision-makers and experts from Europe will convene in Stockholm for FOREST EUROPE’s tenth Ministerial Conference, hosted by Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren. The Conference also represents the highlight of Sweden’s chairmanship of FOREST EUROPE in 2025–2026.

Sweden is this year’s chair of the For Forest+ group. In this context, Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren hosted a meeting of the group’s members on 31 March, during which the group welcomed Germany as a new member. With the addition of Germany, For Forest+ now consists of eight EU Member States that collectively account for around 60 per cent of the forests of the 27 EU Member States (EU27).

This strategy has a ten-year perspective to enable various actors to work long term on issues that can help realise the vision: “A society in which access to treatment with antimicrobials is maintained through cross-sectoral and sector-specific initiatives to prevent infection and limit the development, spread and consequences of resistant microorganisms.”

The Government has adopted a new 10-year strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The strategy will guide and reinforce Sweden’s work in this area and contribute to global goals of reducing mortality.

In 2017, the Riksdag adopted the objective of the National Food Strategy: a competitive food supply chain that increases overall food production while achieving the relevant national environmental objectives. The strategy still applies, but the Government has revised it to meet current challenges and opportunities. The new strategy, the National Food Strategy 2.0, has been developed in dialogue with businesses and organisations in the food supply chain.

(New version) Security in Sweden’s neighbourhood has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. The Government is therefore carrying out the most sweeping modernisation of Sweden’s total defence since the end of the Cold War. In the Budget Bill for 2026, the Tidö Parties propose a new package for stronger civil defence. Funding will go towards better stockpiling of health care products, renovating Sweden’s protective shelters, building up new food contingency reserves and improving preparedness efforts of Sweden’s municipalities and regions. The Government proposes allocating SEK 3 billion to civil defence in 2026, SEK 4.2 billion in 2027 and SEK 4.6 billion in 2028. These proposals total approximately SEK 12 billion in 2026–2028.

Sweden's national statement to the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) was delivered by Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari in Nice, France, 10 June 2025. Check against delivery.

Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is participating in the UN’s third Ocean Conference, UNOC-3, in Nice. At the Conference, a declaration is expected to be adopted on the implementation of measures to protect and preserve oceans.

Dan Ericsson, State Secretary to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, visited Nairobi, Kenya on 27–30 October. The visit centred around a high-level meeting in the international School Meals Coalition, where Sweden is in the steering committee, but it also included several visits related to food supply and production, and forestry.

On Friday 19 January, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Stockholm. Topics discussed during the visit included current EU issues, support to Ukraine, competitiveness and the green transition.

On Friday 19 January, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. A joint press conference will be held in the afternoon.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance (AMR). The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2025.

Total investments in the area of environment and climate for 2018 amount to SEK 5 billion, allocated to several different expenditure areas. Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog is proud that Sweden has once again presented a budget with a clear environmental profile.

The Food Strategy is a platform that sets out the direction of our policy towards 2030, to create stability and ensure a long-term approach. Concrete measures are put forward in the Government’s action plan stemming from areas identified in the strategy. Some, but not all, of the actions can be realised by the Government. To be successful, the entire food supply chain need to work in the same direction, where as many as possible are contributing. With the Food Strategy as foundation, we will be able to meet the challenges facing us and strengthen the Swedish food supply chain.