Norway is a global leader in farmed salmon and maintains a strong livestock sector, yet it imports more than 90 percent of its fish feed raw materials and around 40 percent of its livestock concentrate feed. In a world of supply-chain disruptions and climate uncertainty, that dependency is a strategic risk.
In 2024, the Norwegian government launched the Samfunnsoppdraget om bærekraftig fôr, a national mission to ensure all feed comes from sustainable sources by 2034. The ambitions are clear: significantly increase the domestic share of feed ingredients while cutting greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain. In November 2025, the mission’s steering group delivered a 20-point action plan demanding immediate steps in 2026.
Grasslands cover more than half of Norway’s agricultural land. For ruminants, forage grasses are the backbone of the feed system. Making those grasses more nitrogen-efficient — producing more protein per kilogram of fertiliser — would simultaneously reduce import dependency, lower nitrous oxide emissions, and strengthen the entire chain from soil to milk. The 20-point plan recognises this, calling for higher forage quality, precision nitrogen management, climate-adapted varieties, and data-driven tools for farmers.
The SustainPlant Group at NMBU — Norwegian University of Life Sciences was designed to address exactly this challenge. We work across an integrated research pipeline that connects agronomic field science with modern genomics, breeding technology, gene editing, high-throughput phenotyping, and AI-based modelling. Each pillar feeds into the next, creating a translational arc from fundamental discovery to practical outcomes for breeders and farmers. Our focus is Nitrogen Use Efficiency in forage grasses. We collaborate closely with Graminor, Norway’s plant breeding company, and with key industry and research partners across the Norwegian agricultural sector (TINE, Yara International, Norsk Landbruksrådgiving SA). Together, we are working to deliver varieties and decision-support tools that help farmers (Norges Bondelag and Norsk Bonde- og Småbrukarlag) produce high-quality, protein-rich feed with a smaller environmental footprint.
With multiple externally funded projects in forage grasses (DLT-Farming, Soil2Milk Project, ProteinSense, NitroGenEdit, Twin-NUE) supported by the Norges forskningsråd, Agricultural Agreement Research Fund (FFL/JA), Landbruksdirektoratet, and NMBU — Norwegian University of Life Sciences — and a growing team of postdocs, PhD candidates, and master’s students, SustainPlant Group represents a significant and sustained investment in the science underpinning Norway’s sustainable feed future.
The 20-point plan is clear: 2026 is the year to act. The 2034 targets will not be met without continued investment in the research that connects agronomy, genetics, and technology. SustainPlant Group, which is part of the Department of Plant Sciences at NMBU — Norwegian University of Life Sciences, is committed to being part of that journey, working with partners in industry, government, and academia to help build a more self-sufficient and sustainable Norwegian feed system.
We welcome new collaborations and conversations. If your work touches on sustainable feed, forage improvement, or agricultural innovation in the Nordic region, let’s connect.
Dr. Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi
Research Scientist & Group Leader, SustainPlant Group
Department of Plant Sciences, BIOVIT, NMBU — Norwegian University of Life Sciences
This article was originally published on LinkedIn.