Abstract
The Norwegian government has ambitious goals to increase the share of domestically
produced ingredients in feed for farmed animals and fish. However, a transition in this direction
will have implications far beyond feed value chains. Based on a case study from the NFR
project SusFeed (2021–2026), we examine the consequences of large-scale domestic
production of grass protein concentrate and phototrophic microalgae, with particular emphasis
on land and energy use. While these feed ingredients have proven technically viable
elsewhere, they are still at an early pilot stage in Norway. Scaling up grass protein biorefineries
would require substantial areas of high-quality agricultural land. At the same time, such
development could encourage more environmentally and soil-health-friendly crop rotation
practices. Changes in land use would affect farmers, food value chains, and surrounding local
communities, and could also influence common goods such as national food security and food
self-sufficiency. Moreover, converting grass into dry protein concentrate requires significant
energy inputs. Phototrophic microalgae production has more modest land requirements but
depends on energy-intensive processes such as artificial light–driven photosynthesis and
water circulation. Current production benefits from synergies with the metallurgical industry by
capturing CO₂ and utilizing excess heat. Further scaling, however, may intensify electricity
competition, affect other industrial value chains and local communities, and contribute to the
conversion of natural land for renewable energy production. High-quality farmland and
renewable electric energy are scarce and valuable resources. By analyzing the implications of
scaling up grass biorefining and microalgae production in line with current policy ambitions,
the SusFeed project highlights how circular business models ultimately face biophysical limits
to growth. Finally, our findings raise normative questions about stakeholder involvement,
fairness, and allocation: how, and by whom, should scarce land and energy resources be
distributed between export-oriented aquaculture and domestic food production, and across
competing industrial sectors?