The Ministry for Rural Affairs (Swedish: Landsbygdsdepartementet), known between 1900 and 2010 as the Ministry of Agriculture (Swedish: Jordbruksdepartementet, Jo), was a ministry within the government of Sweden. The ministry was responsible for matters relating to rural areas, food and land- and water-based industries, regional development, transport and infrastructure, housing, and community planning. The ministry was headed by the minister for rural affairs (2011–2014) and the minister of agriculture (1900–2010). The ministry was disbanded on 31 December 2014, and from 1 January 2015, the matters was handled by the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.
History The Ministry of Agriculture was formed in 1900 as the first new ministry after the departemental reform of 1840. The ministry was established according to the 1900 Riksdag decision and royal decree on 31 March of the same year. The department was created by merging mainly the agricultural affairs of the Ministry for Civil Service Affairs at the time with the Ministry of Finance's affairs concerning the royal demesne and forests. According to the royal decree of 31 March 1900, with amendments on 30 January 1903, and 30 September 1904, this department was responsible for matters related to agriculture, farming, handicrafts, forestry, along with the associated educational institutions, as well as hunting and fishing. It included the crown's immovable property, which was not held with a stipulated right of residence or allocated for a specific state purpose, and therefore either leased for immediate use or placed under the care of a special government authority. It also covered state and other public forests, as well as excess crown lands. The department oversaw veterinary services and animal diseases, state stud farming, and the improvement of horse breeding. It managed land surveying, land partitioning, consolidation, and land division. Additionally, it was responsible for the Geographical Survey Office of Sweden (Rikets allmänna kartverk) and the Geological Survey of Sweden, the system of public conveyance, inns, and road maintenance, ferry and bridge obligations, public log driving, support, loan grants, and allocations from the relief fund, cultivation loan fund, and frost reduction fund. It also handled temporary matters related to public poorhouses. In the 1950s, the Ministry of Agriculture handled matters related to agriculture and farming, including associated research, experiments, and educational systems. It also managed fisheries, stud farming, horse breeding, the civilian veterinary service, homeownership programs, agricultural credit operations, and cooperative movements. The ministry oversaw state-owned immovable properties, forests, and forestry, as well as hunting and game conservation, natural landmarks, land surveying, and the Geographical Survey Office. It was responsible for the application of water laws and regulations on property rights and restrictions on land acquisition, along with matters related to the Sámi people. The Ministry of Agriculture also addressed issues related to legislation on forests and forest management, timber measurement, common land rights, as well as hunting and fishing. The ministry's head officially held the title "Minister for Agriculture and Chief of the Royal Ministry of Agriculture," but in everyday language, they were commonly referred to as the minister of agriculture. For the preparation of matters and the processing of decisions, the ministry head had at their disposal a department of the Royal Chancery (Kunglig Majestäts kansli), which, in 1910, consisted of one director general for administrative affairs (expeditionschef), two deputy directors (kansliråd) and directors (byråchef), three administrative officers (kanslisekreterare), one registrar, and a number of assistants (acting officials). In the 1950s, the ministry was divided into two main departments: one under the state secretary and the other under the director general for administrative affairs. Under the former, there was the legal department, while under the latter, there were three offices with deputy directors as chiefs: one for agriculture and related matters, one for state domains and forestry, and one for agricultural rationalization, acquisition of agricultural property, land surveying, and more. The Ministry of Agriculture changed its name to the Ministry for Rural Affairs on 1 January 2011. The ministry was disbanded on 31 December 2014, and from 1 January 2015, the matters was handled by the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. On 1 January 2023, the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure was established which handles some of the ministry's old tasks.
Location From at least 1967 to 1971, the ministry was located at Riddarhustorget 7-9. In 1972 it moved to Departementets hus at Jakobsgatan 26 where it remained until 1976. Between 1977 and 1982, a new building for the Government Offices was constructed at Drottninggatan 21. The ministry moved there in 1983 and remained at this address until 1998. Between 1999 and 2000, the ministry was located at Vasagatan 8-10. From 2001 until at least 2010, the ministry was located at Fredsgatan 8.
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