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SKEPTIC: Anette Trettebergstuen wonders if the Ministry of Culture defines gastronomic festivals as culture, but not culture, “enough” to be under the Government’s support schemes. Photo: Gøran Bohlin
Anette Trettebergstuen of the Labor Party finds it strange that in 2019 the government recognized food culture as culture, but in 2020 it still chooses to exclude food festivals from compensation plans for cultural organizers.
VG wrote before the weekend about the Norwegian food festivals fear of the future because the industry falls outside the government compensation schemes.
– Gladmatfestivalen and other food festivals like Trøndersk Matfestival, Bryggerifestivalen and Bergen Matfestival are important festivals promoting Norwegian food culture. Like the rest of the festivals-Norway, these were also affected by the ban on events by the authorities and have not been able to organize festivals as usual in 2020, Trettebergstuen tells VG.
– It seems that the Government chooses to keep them out of the compensation scheme for cultural organizers, apparently because they are not culture “enough”, says the spokesman for cultural policy of the Labor Party.
In a written question to Culture Minister Abid Q. Raja on Monday afternoon, the opposition parliamentary representative points to the foreword of the Government’s strategy for culture and tourism from 2019.
The then Minister of Culture and Gender Equality Trine Skei Grande and the then Minister of Commerce and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen write that “Norway is the land for Nidaros Cathedral, Cardamom City and magical experiences of Peer Gynt, mixed with the most raw of Nordic food culture. All this and much more makes Norway a unique little country at a great value. We will never be the cheapest, but we will create and offer the best cultural experiences to anyone who wants to. “
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– Therefore, I ask if the government has changed its mind about whether food culture is part of the cultural concept and whether it will be guaranteed that food festivals are also served by compensation schemes, says Trettebergstuen.
The party leader of the Center Party, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, agrees with his parliamentary colleague.
– Clear food culture is culture, saying something else is completely wrong, says Slagsvold Vedum to VG.
He understands the fear for the future of Norwegian food and drink festivals when they fall outside the government compensation schemes.
SOMETHING MUST BE DONE: The Center Party leader fears that the national food culture will be reversed if Norwegian food festivals, among other things, are not financially compensated. Photo: Trond Solberg
– I took the initiative to meet with Minister Olaug Bollestad already in March / April, because I saw what was to come. Unfortunately, nothing has happened. Small local producers end up completely outside. It’s bad enough for people, but also bad enough for the national food culture, where a fantastic amount has happened in the last 15 years. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Government now have to look at everyone in the middle, believes Trygve Slagsvold Vedum.
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The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Olaug Bollestad, informed VG before the weekend that the Government has made several adjustments, within various schemes, to be able to provide financial assistance to those who run local food, tourism in agriculture and the food festivals.
– Through the compensation scheme for companies, the government has prioritized those with a large drop in turnover as a result of the virus outbreak. If you generally don’t have enough turnover failures, then you are not entitled to compensation, Olaug Bollestad wrote in the email.
Last week, the government awarded the Dyrsku’n in Seljord 11.2 million crowns in financial compensation after having to cancel for the first time since 1866.
VG has not received a response from the Ministry of Culture for a comment on the case. Anette Trettebergstuen’s written question to Culture Minister Abid Q. Raja has not yet been answered.
