The 'Family Farm' Culture of Norway | Arne Naess

Green Transition | Naess & the Nordics

Coincidentally, just two days ago - this 7th February, in the MPhil class we were having a discussion on the Nordic countries and their tryst with going green, with special reference to Norway, the birthplace of Arne Naess.

So it was all the more exciting to read an intriguing news feature in today’s The Hindu which says that –

The Nordic countries are ready to offer their technologies and expertise to India as it moves towards a green, digital, and innovative future. Over the last decades, Nordic countries have been pioneering green technologies. Together, the Nordics and India can power the green transition the world needs.

Coming back to Arne Naess,

Well, Arne Naess, Norway’s best-known philosopher, is credited with coining the term “deep ecology”. This intriguing distinction that he made between what he called deep and shallow ecological thinking, was indeed a huge blow to the Western preoccupation with the environmental crisis.

Today's The Hindu

While talking about the “Family Farm Culture” of Norway, Arne Naess remarks -

Norway is the only Nordic country with family farms, and there is a definite agriculture, not just agribusiness. To protect this culture and to make it economically possible for its practitioners to survive, Norway “subsidizes” its agriculture.

That is, there is a transfer of income so that the farmers can offer the public their products at low prices, prices that are not high enough to cover farm expenses.

In an important sense, it is not the farmer, but the public, that is subsidized and protected against further increases.

Quite ironically, today, we are asked to destroy the farm culture in favor of city culture.

PS: You may want to read this entire intriguing essay by Arne Naess, on our blogpost HERE

Pic Courtesy: Getty/istock/The Hindu