TARANDUS Conference 2026, 10-12 February in Luleå, Sweden, gathered reindeer researchers from Finland, Norway, and Sweden and further afield to present and discuss reindeer welfare, health and resilience.
The long-term goal for the conference is to strengthens preparedness and resilience in reindeer husbandry. This helps ensure that reindeer production remains sustainable, climate-adapted, and low-impact, while protecting animal welfare and supporting Sámi culture and northern food systems in a rapidly changing climate.
Around 50 network members across Fennoscandia participated during the three conference days.
The TARANDUS network provides a forum for sharing knowledge on reindeer health and welfare and creates new research ideas and new transdisciplinary collaborations within and between countries. The conference also creates opportunities for PhD students and early-career researchers to learn, network, and present their work through student travel grants of which six were awarded for this conference.
The conference is coordinated by the Swedish Veterinary Agency, Natural Resources Institute Finland, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the Norwegian Reindeer Health Advisory Service (Reinhelsetjenesten).