The Swedish government has announced that it will establish the first grain stocks intended for use in the event of war or crisis in the north of the country, a region considered by “strategic military importance”. The decision comes amid heightened tensions with Russia. For this project, Stockholm has allocated 575 million kroner (about 52 million euros) in the 2026 budget, funds that will be managed through contracts between the state and local enterprises.
Sweden is preparing for a possible war PHOTO: Archive
The Swedish state will purchase a set amount of grain from these companies and ensure constant replenishment of stocks so that they are always available. According to the Swedish Agriculture Agency, the tender for these reserves will be launched on October 15 in the counties of Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Västernorrland and Jämtland. Currently, these regions depend on supplies from the south of the country, which is a vulnerability in the event of conflict.
The North, a strategic priority
“Northern Sweden is of strategic military importance and constitutes a particular priority in total defense“, the Minister of Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said on Wednesday, quoted in an official statement. “It is no accident that the stages towards the establishment of grain reserves are taking place here. It is fundamentally about guaranteeing that the population can put food on the table even in times of crisis“, he emphasized, according to News.ro.
The concept of “total defense”
The idea of ”total defense” it was reactivated in Sweden in 2015, after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and was strengthened after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The strategy involves the involvement of the whole society, from the state, to citizens and businesses, to put up a collective resistance in the face of an armed aggression, while maintaining the vital functions of the country.
According to the Swedish Agricultural Agency, bread and cereal products have a high energy value, and between 90 and 95% of the population could feed exclusively on cereals for three months without nutritional deficiencies.
