From reindeer stew to pizza: the displacement of local food resources in Sápmi, northernmost Europe

Abstract

The process of the gradual displacement of endogenous food resources – the "reindeer stew" – by food items that have exogenous origin and are globally marketed – the "pizza" – is discussed by taking the Sámi and their subarctic homeland, Sápmi, as an example. Firstly, the issue is raised how the interrela­tionship among people, environment, resources, and food production can be connected to population density and carrying capacity of specific ecosystems. Secondly, a summary description of the historical Sámi food household based solely on subarctic fauna and flora is given. Thirdly, the modern process of exogenous food imports is presented by introducing the concepts of "distant consumption” and “de‑localization of resources". Fourthly, these concepts are applied to show the emerging local dependency on external resources and the resulting displacement and/or adaptation of local food resources with re­spect to their importance and values economically and culturally for Sámi so­ciety.