PGI lofoten stockfish in Norway

Abstract

Stockfish from Lofoten (tørrfisk fra Lofoten) comes from the largest cod fishery in the world where, as far back as the Vikings, cod has been traditionally dried on racks for several months. Thanks to the ideal temperature, wind and local know-how, the fish could be kept for several years. The product is thus different from clipfish (klippfisk)/bacalao, the reference product in this study, which is both salted and dried and which was imported into Norway in the 16th and 17th centuries. Dried stockfish from Lofoten was the first Norwegian product to obtain a European Protected Geographical Indication in the EU, although it had already been recognized in Norway as a national PGI since 2007 (https://www.matmerk.no/no/beskyttedebetegnelser/godkjente-produkter/torrfisk-fra-lofoten). An organization of 18 producers and the fact that it is mainly an export product explain the need for international recognition. Already a source of the country’s wealth several hundred years ago, dried fish from Lofoten is still today a key economic and cultural resource, especially thanks to the export trade, chiefly with Italy and Nigeria. In 2017 Norway exported more than 4650 tons stockfish, including 3000 tons from Lofoten. The sustainability performance of Stockfish from Lofoten is mixed: While it outperforms its reference on price premium, carbon footprint and food miles, it faces more challenges than its reference regarding gender equality and educational attainment.