Sweden is establishing its first emergency grain reserves in its far north, a region officials say is strategically crucial. The government announced Tuesday that it will allocate $60 million in its 2026 budget to create the reserves. CBS News cites four northern counties that source 100% of their grain from the country's south and reports the move is part of a broader effort to bolster Sweden's "total defense" strategy, which was revived after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2015 and intensified following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin described northern Sweden as vital for military operations and a top priority for national defense planning. "It is no coincidence that it is here the first steps are being taken towards establishing emergency grain stocks, which essentially is about ensuring that the population can put food on the table even in times of crisis," he said. The new reserves will be regularly turned over to guard against spoilage.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture estimates that 90% to 95% of the population could subsist on grains for three months without suffering adverse nutritional effects. A press release notes that for "2026-2028 there are also funds to begin the establishment of emergency stocks for agricultural inputs and for emergency stocks of grain in the rest of the country."