A collaboration that began within the now-concluded research programme Future Arctic Lives continues to produce results. CERE researcher Göran Bostedt and Norwegian colleagues Erlend Dancke Sandorf, Anne Borge Johannesen and Irmelin Slettemoen Helgesen have published a new article in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy.
Using a contingent valuation approach, the researchers presented reindeer herders in Sweden and Norway with a range of future climate scenarios and asked them to make a choice no herder wants to face: rely on supplementary feed, or reduce the size of the herd?
The results reveal two distinct groups. One is willing to rely on supplementary feed indefinitely, while the other would rather cut their herd immediately. Instead of switching between strategies as conditions change, herders in both countries appear to pick one approach and stick with it.
Read the article: Sandorf, E. D., Bostedt, G., Johannesen, A. B. & Helgesen, I. S. (2026). Reindeer herding in the face of climate change: how do the Saami adapt? Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/21606544.2026.2744960
