This is reported in an overview of the Forestry on Farmland programme compiled by forestry adviser Guðríður Baldvinsdóttir. The programme was established in 2016 following the merger of the regional forestry projects with the Icelandic Forest Service and is now part of the activities of Land and Forest Iceland. Over the years, it has become an important component of land use in Iceland.

In 2025, forest seedlings were planted on 249 farms throughout the country. In addition, shelterbelts or small shelter woodlands were established on 87 farms. The need for forest management—primarily early thinning—continues to grow as forests established during the early years of the regional forestry projects reach what is often referred to as their “adolescent” stage. Early thinning was carried out on 47 farms last year, representing a notable increase compared to previous years. Owing to mild weather, thinning work is continuing this January and will proceed into spring as conditions allow.

The chart above shows the number of planted seedlings by species Forestry on Farmland projects 2017–2025. The total number of planted trees last year amounted to just over 2.1 million. Of these, approximately 1.9 million were forest trees, with an additional around 210,000 trees planted in shelterbelts and shelter woodlands. On average, just over 7,600 forest trees were planted per farm in 2025.

According to the overview, planting activity varied between regions. The largest number of trees were planted in West Iceland and North Iceland, together accounting for more than half of all plantings, followed by South Iceland. The bar chart below shows the distribution of tree species by region in forest farmers' plantations 2025.

Accompanying photos were taken by forestry adviser Johan Holst. The image below shows unloading work at a plant distribution centre.