Department of Agricultural Policy

The department aims to facilitate a long-term sustainable production of Norwegian foods that meet consumers' needs and supports agriculture in its multifaceted role, where an environmentally friendly agriculture, and protection of all cultural, heritage and biological diversity are key elements.

The most important guidelines for the department's work are laid down in Prop. 1 S, the Annual Agreement on Agriculture, the Reindeer Herding Agreement and Parliamentary Whitepaper 9 (2011-2012) and the Parliament's execution of these. Cabinet directives are a further policy source. DAP works with a number of institutions and agencies when implementing agricultural policy.

The department provides expertise on the Annual Agricultural Agreement and the annual agricultural negotiations. It is also responsible for overseeing import protections for agricultural produce, etc..

The department is responsible for the reindeer herding agreement and the annual reindeer negotiations between the government and Norwegian Reindeer Herder Association. The goal of Ministry policy in this field is an economically, ecologically and culturally sustainable utilization of pastoralist resources.

The department is partly responsible for the ministry's international activities.

The department consists of the following sections

• Trade Policy Section

  The Trade Policy Section is partly responsible for the ministry's international activity, international negotiations and policy making related to WTO, OECD, EEA and EU, as well as EFTA. The section also deals with FAO and issues related to food security and development policies. Management of import protection on agricultural products and a regulatory framework for the food industry is part of the section's remit.

• Agricultural Policy Section

  The Agricultural Policy Section is responsible for the annual Agricultural Agreement and the annual agricultural negotiations between the government and the Norwegian Farmers Association and the Union of Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders, and the responsibility for the preparation of background material pertaining to this. The section collaborates with the Norwegian Agriculture Agency to implement and oversee the annual Agricultural Agreement. The section is responsible for the marketing programs for meat, dairy, eggs, cereals, vegetables, wool, fruit and berries, and undertakes various subsidy programs, such as production subsidies and welfare schemes. The section is responsible for food security, livestock licensing and regulation of milk production including a quota-system for the farmers. Finally, the section has the directorship of the Norwegian Agriculture Agency.

• Industry development and ecology Section

  The Industry development and ecology Section is responsible for climate measures in agriculture. This encompasses culture landscapes and protected buildings, biodiversity, organic food production, specific environmental programs and the ecology program with ecology planning. The section is responsible for oversight and performance review, and documents environmental and performance programs. The BU Program, i.e. regulatory work and the distribution of funding also belongs under this section, as does the responsibility for quality in agriculture: the KSL Matmerk foundation, the Protected Names brand program, the Hanen tourism guide, the 'Into The Farmyard' educational program, and development of green tourism. The section operates Norwegian Agricultural Consulting and the value creation program for food production. Professional recruitment and equal opportunity measures are also part of the section remit. IDE is responsible for monitoring and managing Innovation Norway, and cooperates with Innovation Norway and the agriculture departments of County Governors on efforts to increase agricultural value creation and industry development. The section's international work includes environmental indicators and OECD, Nordic cooperation and the North Sea Declaration.

• Reindeer section

  The Reindeer section is responsible for the annual Reindeer Agreement and the annual reindeer negotiations between the government and the Union of Norwegian Sami Reindeer Herders, coordinated with the Directorate of Agriculture's Alta station and the Sami Parliament. The goal of the Ministry's policy in this area is an economically, ecologically and culturally viable utilization of pastoralist resources. The section is responsible for the Reindeer Act, regulations, individual cases and complaints. Responsibility for grant programs under the reindeer herding agreement, and land and resource issues related to reindeer are also handled by this section. It supervises issues related to predators and to fencing. The section handles the Nordic cooperation on reindeer herding, The Norwegian-Swedish reindeer grazing convention, the Norwegian-Finnish reindeer fence commission and economic issues related to Russia. The section is responsible for the Agriculture Directorate's Alta station.