Iceland is a member of the UN‘s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which covers all living species. In Iceland, the responsibility for genetic resources in agriculture, whether they are cultivated plants or livestock, is in the hands of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture.
Farm animals
Animal breeding in Iceland is based on breeds that have been isolated on the island for over 1100 years. This is a unique quality when compared to western countries and other countries in Scandinavia.
Freshwater fish
Breeding of freshwater fish is a twofold industry in Iceland. On one hand there is the hunting of wild fish populations in their natural habitats and the breeding of freshwater populations in controlled environments
plants
When the settlers first came to Iceland there were probably relatively few plant species in the local flora. Settlers most likely brought plants with them that were adapted to grazing animals in contrast to the indigenous plants.
Forest
Woods in Iceland cover approximately 1.5% of the land. Populations, clones, and offspring of the species currently used in forestry are being tested extensively in various locations in the country.
