Reindeer Are Important!
That might sound obvious to readers of this blog, however if a message is worth saying, it worth repeating and often it is more important who actually says the message.. Stein Mathisen, the head of Innovation Norway, (a state agency with 700 employees that was set up to make nationwide industrial development profitable to both the business economy and Norways national economy, and contribute towards innovation, internationalisation and promotion).
Mathisen pointed out that reindeer husbandry is more than just a cultural issue and that from an economic standpoint, it is more important to the regional economy than people think and the focus on its cultural importance diminishes its economic potential.
Figures from Innovation Norway show that the reindeer industry employs more than agriculture, fishing industry and aquaculture industry in the county of Finnmark. In 2007, reindeer herding employed 743 people with only the fisheries industry employing more people: 1138. The total gross value added in reindeer husbandry amounted to about 140 million NOK (ca. 16 Million Euros) a year. Besides buying reindeer food goods and services to 70 million NOK annually in the county.
The business opportunity must be brought forward in the discussion. There must be a more professional debate about the reindeer herding as a business and not just a culture bearer,
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