sjálfsþurftartilfengun

Sjálfsþurftartilfengun is an Icelandic term describing a process and outcome in which individuals, households, or communities increase their control over essential resources by developing local skills and capacities. The word is formed from sjálfs- “self,” þurft “need” or “necessity,” and tilfengun “provision” or “supply,” and is used in discussions of sustainability, resilience, and local development.

Its central aim is to reduce dependence on distant or external systems for basic needs—food, energy, water, and basic services—while strengthening autonomy and social cohesion. Core components typically include food production (home gardening, small-scale farming, seed saving), energy management (renewable generation, efficiency), repair and maintenance capacities, financial literacy, and mutually supportive networks such as cooperatives and time-banks.

Implementation occurs through education, community projects, urban and peri-urban farming, community-owned energy projects, seed banks, and local exchange initiatives. In Iceland and other Nordic contexts, conversations often link sjálfsþurftartilfengun to climate adaptation, rural revival, and resilience against price or supply shocks, while acknowledging the limits of self-sufficiency within highly interconnected economies.

Critics argue that complete self-sufficiency is impractical and could undermine specialization and interdependence in modern economies. Proponents counter that gradual, community-centered self-sufficiency can bolster security, empower individuals, and foster solidarity, without rejecting cooperation with broader systems.

See also resilience, food sovereignty, energy independence, localism.