One in three Swedes is worried about food shortages in the future, according to a SIFO survey commissioned by Skånemejerier. More than half do not believe that the country’s food production can feed the entire population.
In the survey, conducted in June this year among 1008 randomly selected Swedes aged 18-84, 52% say they have little knowledge of food production in Sweden. Among Swedes aged 18-29, the figure is 60%.
At the same time, 34% are worried about possible food shortages in the future and 50% believe that Swedish food production is not enough to feed the entire population.
– It is of course regrettable that confidence in Sweden’s food supply is low. Especially in times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to recognize its importance for our country’s preparedness and its potential to contribute to the green transition, said Cecilia von Perglas, CEO of Skånemejerier in a press release.
We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.
Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…
The crisis deepens for Swedish-based steel company Stegra as financier Harald Mix steps down from the chairman position and his investment company Vargas Holding withdraws.The new largest owner will instead be Just Climate, a subsidiary of notorious climate activist Al Gore’s environmental investment firm.
This despite the company not yet having started production and facing the risk of running out of cash within a few months
Stegra’s largest owner Vargas Holding is now leaving the “climate-smart steel” project following Harald Mix’s departure as board chairman. Instead, Just Climate is stepping in as the new principal owner, according to reports to Schibsted-owned Svenska Dagbladet.
Just Climate is an investment company founded by prominent activist Al Gore, and belongs to the asset management firm Generation Investment Management. Since its launch in 2021, the company has attracted approximately €1.3 billion from investors for climate projects, with Stegra being one of them.
Harald Mix will be replaced by Shaun Kingsbury, who according to reports will become the new board chairman for Stegra. However, Mix will continue to work with and advocate for the project.
— My confidence in the company remains unshaken and I will continue to support the company financially as an investor and in my work as an active board member, Harald Mix stated to Dagens Industri.
Al Gore at a World Economic Forum meeting in 2020. Photo: World Economic Forum/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Large pension funds behind the fund
Among the investors in Just Climate are two Swedish state-owned AP funds, Second AP Fund and Fourth AP Fund, which together manage tens of billions of euros in pension assets.
The funds’ investment in Just Climate is currently estimated at approximately €55 million – a relatively modest amount compared to their total capital, but still a source of concern as the project finds itself in deep crisis.
The fact that Swedish pension money has once again been invested in a high-risk project has sparked reactions, not least after the Northvolt fiasco – a corporate collapse that cost Swedish taxpayers billions.
Den gröna omställningen blir återigen en stor grushög denna gång heter grushögen Stegra pic.twitter.com/WYh5cMYQ7g
Stegra has not yet begun production of fossil-free steel at the factory to be built in Boden, northern Sweden. The production start is currently postponed until the turn of 2026/2027, while both costs and debts have skyrocketed.
According to reports from Financial Times, Stegra is burning through approximately €270 million per month and risks running out of money within two months unless credit facilities are granted. Major bank Citigroup has reportedly also withdrawn from the financing.
The crisis at Stegra has been compared to the bankruptcy of battery manufacturer Northvolt earlier this year, and a source with insight says: — This is starting to look more and more like Northvolt. It’s hard to see anything other than investments being written off.
If the project collapses, Swedish pension savers risk major losses once again. Among others, AMF Pension (a major Swedish pension fund) has invested €165 million in the company, and Third AP Fund is involved as an investor through private equity firm Altor – founded by Mix and Stegra’s second-largest owner.
Al Gore, born March 31, 1948 in Washington D.C., served as US Vice President under Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. After the controversial 2000 presidential election, he devoted himself entirely to climate issues. The documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006) made him a global climate alarmist figure, and in 2007 he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the UN's climate panel, the IPCC.
Parallel to his activism, Gore has built up significant economic interests. He is co-founder of Generation Investment Management, a London-based investment firm focused on "sustainability", and its subsidiary Just Climate, now the largest owner in Stegra, has raised billions of euros from institutional investors, including Swedish pension funds.
Critics question whether Gore's economic involvement undermines the credibility of his activism, while supporters argue that investments in sustainable companies are necessary for the so-called green transition.
Gore is also founder of The Climate Reality Project, which works with opinion formation and education on environmental and climate issues globally. At the same time, he has established close connections to international power networks, including the World Economic Forum and other influential global economic and political platforms. This strengthens his influence, but has also raised questions about how close cooperation with major economic and political interests actually affects his role as an activist and opinion leader.
Trump’s tariffs have reversed trade patterns. China has now overtaken the US as Germany’s most important trading partner – just one year after losing the top position.
China has reclaimed first place as Germany’s largest trading partner. During the first eight months of the year, trade with China reached €163.4 billion, compared to €162.8 billion for the US, according to preliminary figures from the German statistical office, reports Reuters.
It’s a rapid reversal. The US was Germany’s largest trading partner in 2024, breaking an eight-year period of Chinese dominance. The shift came as Germany actively tried to reduce its dependence on China, citing political differences and unfair trade practices.
But Donald Trump’s return to the White House and renewed tariffs have changed the dynamics.
Tariffs hit hard
German exports to the US fell by 7.4 percent during the first eight months of the year to €99.6 billion. In August, exports dropped by as much as 23.5 percent compared to the previous year.
— There is no question that US tariff and trade policy is an important reason for the decline in sales, says Dirk Jandura, chairman of the German Association for Foreign Trade (BGA).
He notes that American demand for classic German export goods such as cars, machinery and chemicals has decreased.
Chinese imports increase
While exports to China fell by 13.5 percent, imports from China increased by 8.3 percent to €108.8 billion.
— The renewed import boom from China is worrying, says Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomics at ING. Particularly as data shows that these imports come at dumping prices.
He warns that this increases Germany’s dependence on China and could put additional pressure on key industries where China has become a major competitor.
A new investigation shows that new nuclear power plants can be built in the Barsebäck area, Sweden, after a political majority in Kävlinge municipality expressed a desire to establish nuclear power there.
However, the plans are causing irritation among Denmark’s ruling Social Democrats, who consider this would be “unfortunate”.
The Barsebäck nuclear power plant in southern Sweden consisted of two reactors that were decommissioned in 1999 and 2005. Demolition began in 2016 and the plan is for the site to be leveled by 2030. Kävlinge municipality, where the decommissioned nuclear power plant is located, has agreed with the landowner that the site should accommodate development of fossil-free energy solutions such as solar power.
However, the new investigation commissioned by the municipality with support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency shows that it is also possible to establish new nuclear power in the area. That said, it would require strong consideration for the nature in the area. The report primarily points to Barsebäck marsh, Ulakärr, Lödde stream and Salviken as having high natural values that need to be protected.
– We’re not at the point of breaking ground. But they have concluded that in certain areas it works well, in other areas the investigation says that nature interests take precedence here, says Annsofie Thuresson from the Moderate Party to Sydsvenskan.
Proximity to Copenhagen causes concern
The Swedish government has recently presented a new legislative proposal for amendments to the Environmental Code that would allow the establishment of new nuclear power along the coast.
The Barsebäck area is located near Denmark, and the potential plans to build new nuclear power are meeting resistance from Danish Social Democrats.
“It is unfortunate that Sweden continues on this path and plans to build new reactors near Copenhagen. Especially at a time when our security is under so much pressure“, writes the party’s political chairman Niels Bjerrum to Danish newspaper Berlingske.
At the same time, the Danish party Liberal Alliance, among others, is positive about establishing new nuclear power and wants to scrap wind power in Denmark to instead invest in more nuclear power facilities.
One in eight children in Sweden currently lives in poverty, and the number is increasing in line with rising living costs, according to a new report from Save the Children Sweden.
According to recent figures from the children’s rights organization Save the Children, approximately 276,000 children in Sweden live in poverty, representing nearly 13 percent of all children in the country. This is revealed in the report “Child Poverty in Sweden 2025” which was presented during the week.
The report is based on new metrics from the Swedish Consumer Agency’s calculations of families’ basic needs and includes the number of children in households receiving social assistance. The aim is to better reflect the reality for children in economically vulnerable households.
— The development has made it difficult for families with children who already lacked or had small margins to make ends meet. Save the Children has noticed increased vulnerability among families with children we meet in our operations, says the organization’s Secretary General Åsa Regnér in a press release.
Stock image. Photo: Pixabay
Rising living costs and declining real wages
Save the Children highlights several factors in the report that explain the increasing economic vulnerability among families with children. Among the primary causes are sharply rising living costs, particularly for food and housing, as well as unemployment and declining real wages.
Additionally, the report reveals clear differences between various groups in society. Children living with single parents or in households with foreign-born parents face a significantly higher risk of experiencing poverty.
The organization calls for several national reforms to reverse the trend. Among the proposals are previously suggested increases to child and housing benefits, as well as social assistance that is indexed to actual costs rather than just referring to general levels.
– Social assistance must cover food, rent and children’s basic needs, and therefore it needs to be adapted to economic changes and the real costs of families with children, argues Åsa Regnér.
Save the Children's measurement method for child poverty
Save the Children Sweden has updated its method for measuring child poverty. The new measure takes into account the Swedish Consumer Agency's calculations of basic needs and the number of children in families receiving social assistance. Between 2019 and 2022, poverty decreased according to both measures, but during 2023, the new measure shows an increase.
