European country to stockpile food fearing possible war

Sweden plans to refill food silos for first time since the Cold War, citing a potential conflict with Russia

Sweden has announced that it will begin stockpiling food and agricultural supplies for the first time since the Cold War, citing what officials describe as a growing threat from Russia, Newsweek reported. The Swedish Board of Agriculture stated on Tuesday that it will create emergency reserves of grain and other key supplies to ensure that citizens have access to sufficient food “in the event of a serious crisis and, in the extreme, war.” The government has allocated around $57 million in its 2026 budget to fund the program.The first storage facilities will be established in the north of the country due to low level of self-sufficiency in grain, according to Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, who said “there is no time to lose.”The new stockpiles will be built up over the period of 2026-2028. The Board of Agriculture said the goal is to guarantee food supplies equivalent to 3,000 calories per person per day during a state of heightened alert.Lawmakers in neighboring Finland, meanwhile, have said they will conduct underground training exercises for employees and civil servants next month to practice working in wartime conditions. Bohlin furthersaid that the Swedish Board of Agriculture would procure emergency stockpiling of grain in northern Sweden, which would be circulated so as not to disrupt market mechanisms and to avoid stocks perishing.  The Swedish government said up to 95 percent of the population could survive on grains for three months without any nutrient deficiencies in the plan which would provide people with 3,000 calories a day. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has published a list of recommended foods that are high in fat and protein, and easy to store such as dried meat or fish, jam, chocolate, mashed potatoes, powdered milk and biscuits. Newsweek reported Other countries may follow Sweden’s lead. A European Commission report advised people in the EU to stockpile emergency supplies that can last at least 72 hours in the event of war breaking out or another major emergency such as COVID.

Sweden’s Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin on Wednesday: “We are well aware that the risk of Sweden becoming completely cut off is very low, but the risk of complex supply chains being disrupted with major and unpredictable consequences in the event of war and conflict is unfortunately more likely.”

Oskar Qvarfort, emergency planning officer at the Swedish Food Agency told the AFP earlier this month: “In a war scenario, people will be more physically active than under normal circumstances.”