Farmers raise concerns over foreign land purchases for forestry in Iceland

Environmental issues regarding agricultural production are heating up in Iceland, as farmers express concern over foreign companies purchasing agricultural land for forestry aimed at carbon offsetting. The Icelandic Farmers’ Association advocates for local farmers to lead afforestation efforts instead.

The chairperson of the association, Trausti Hjálmarsson, emphasizes the need for a clear national land-use policy and opposes the idea of foreign entities acquiring farmland intended for food production. He describes such developments as detrimental to agriculture in Iceland and sees an influx of foreign investors purchasing extensive tracts of land as unacceptable.

There has been considerable discussion around afforestation for carbon offsetting lately, with varied opinions on the appropriate approach. Farmers in Northern Iceland have recently been surveyed about their willingness to sell land for tree planting.

Despite past government goals for afforestation and land rehabilitation set in 2019 not being met, Trausti believes this presents an opportunity for Icelandic farmers to boost their income while addressing climate change. He insists that clear benefits and regulations need to be established to ensure farmers can effectively engage in these initiatives.

The Icelandic Farmers’ Association is currently assessing interest among its members in engaging in forestry, reporting significant enthusiasm from previous surveys. They argue that Iceland has ample land available for carbon offsetting and afforestation efforts and suggest these activities can be complementary rather than opposing forces.