# Food System Digitalization as a Means to Promote Food and Nutrition Security in the Barents Region
## 5 Sustainable Food System and ICT  
The food system strongly relates to many sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and food insecurity [72; 73]. There is a need to deliver sustainable and healthy diets to global populations by responding to the challenges of climate change, rising populations, and decreasing crop yields [15]. In respect of this global challenge, the Barents region specifically can offer a good example by which digitalization in the food system can help to increase yield, adding value to promoting food and human security. This necessitates digital technology to push beyond traditional agricultural practices and be deeply embedded into the food system [74]. For example, in the Barents region, food business operators in the region can add value to carrots, turnrips, cloudberries, bilberries, linguomerries, cranberries and other traditional foods as described under the introductory section. The berries are made into juices, jams, sauces, and liqueurs; natural herbs extracts are also utilized. Finnish Lapland angelica herb (_Angelica archangelica_) is used as a flavouring for pies and ice cream [6]. These food business operators within their local communities are small and medium sized, they are often faced with challenges on novel food requirements and trade restrictions by the European Union [75]. In the Norwegian aquaculture, the biggest challenges are sea ice, diseases, access to sufficient areas and adequate feed resources, pollution in the form of feed spills and faeces from the fish [76]. The challenges faced by the Norwegian aquaculture industry can benefit from digitalization by providing sensors to monitor biomarkers that are associated with these pollutants. In the Barents region, many communities have low population density; data can be readily collected for future cross-border collaboration within a digitalized food system. The value addition to traditional foods can be promoted with innovative digital technology that promotes environmentally-friendly food products. Community-based initiatives in the region support food security and help to promote sustainability within the communities. For instance, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), in collaboration with community stakeholders in Troms county, aims to market Arctic foods with the goal of highlighting their unique arctic quality, natural production, and lack of pesticides in the food products [77]. Swede and carrots grown at low temperature result in a fresher and better, sweeter taste. Similarly, the trial marketing of midnight sun-grown, oval-shaped almond potatoes was a success in the Finnish Lapland market. The Finnish Lapland potato has been designated as a brand under the EU name protection \"Protected Designation of Origin\" [78]. The unique quality of these products can serve as a marketing tool that will benefit from e-marketing and digital technology that can prove their authenticity. The existing digital and communication infrastructure in the region will be necessary for stimulating the drive towards food system digitalization in the future. It will require cross-border collaborative initiatives to share best practices and access the latest trends to boost innovative entrepreneurship in the food sector. This will require that the digital infrastructure be up to speed in ensuring that information gathered can be easily shared across borders in rural communities. In a study related to innovation and entrepreneurship conducted at the Imperial College, London, the authors emphasized that information and communications technology (ICT) is required to successfully combine secure and sustainable food systems [74].