Iceland’s only flour mill, operated by Kornax, is set to be dismantled after this weekend, raising concerns over the country’s food security. The mill’s closure will leave Iceland dependent on imported pre-milled flour, which has a shorter shelf life than whole grains.
The mill, located in Sundahöfn, Reykjavík, is being forced to vacate after the termination of its lease by Faxaflóahafnir, the harbour authority. The site will be repurposed for other commercial uses, and demolition is expected to begin shortly. Despite efforts to relocate operations, Kornax has been unable to secure the necessary permits for a move to Grundartangi, an industrial site northwest of the capital.
Rannveig Hrólfsdóttir, Kornax’s Quality Manager, expressed frustration with the five-year struggle to obtain a permit, citing denied requests to bypass regulatory hurdles. She emphasized that the company’s production system is fully enclosed and equipped with advanced filtration to address concerns over emissions.
Food security experts are sounding the alarm over the mill’s closure. Helgi Eyleifur Þorvaldsson, an assistant professor at the Agricultural University of Iceland, described the mill as critical infrastructure for the country. He warned that without a functioning mill, Iceland would lose the ability to store unmilled grain, which has a much longer shelf life than flour.
Þorvaldsson criticised the government’s lack of action, noting that neighbouring countries are actively supporting companies to secure their food supplies amid global instability. He called for greater government involvement in maintaining Iceland’s milling capacity.
In response, Minister of Industries Hanna Katrín Friðriksson acknowledged the ongoing review of food security issues but stopped short of committing to immediate government intervention to prevent the mill’s closure. She stated that the review would likely not be completed before the mill is dismantled on 1 April.
The government is under increasing pressure to act and ensure the country’s food supply is not compromised by the loss of this vital infrastructure.