Beyond compare

Icelandic Lamb is a cooperative of lamb producers, farmers and abattoirs in Iceland safeguarding, protecting and promoting Icelandic lamb. Building a brand with our collective mark and working on product identification for Icelandic lamb on the relevant markets we encourage value creation in the sector, focusing on marketing to foreign visitors to Iceland and increasing the profitability of lamb meat exports.

1,100 years of lamb farming tradition

As the Vikings set foot on Iceland over 1,100 years ago, their unique breed of sheep kicked and jumped past them into Iceland’s rich green pastures. That was the beginning of our sheep farming tradition, which we can proudly say is as old as the Icelandic people themselves. Today, the Icelandic Lamb Marketing Board is a collective of farmers, producers and abattoirs proudly continuing these long-standing traditions where all sheep- and lamb farms are small family-owned businesses.

Experts in a unique Icelandic Breed

The Icelandic sheep are bred for meat quality and remain one of the purest and most protected species in the world. No cross-breeding with other foreign breeds take place. Icelandic farmers have always had a tradition of recording their lambs and sheep and keeping track of where each one originates. Farmers and scientists register more than 90% of the lamb- and sheep stock in a breeding database, where farmers and scientists can use the information to improve their breeding programs. Throughout the years, Icelandic sheep have evolved to become a pure, strong and robust species that can endure and survive the harsh weather conditions in Iceland.

Pure Icelandic pastures create pure Icelandic Lamb

Iceland is one of the world’s youngest land masses, surrounded by the unspoiled North Atlantic and on the cusp of the Arctic Circle. This is where our Icelandic Lamb and sheep graze in fertile, pristine pastures all summer long. The purity of the landscape ensures the matching purity of our Icelandic lambs – no other lamb breed can quite reach the same standard.

We care for every single lamb

Sheep farmers in Iceland take a personal approach to animal welfare. In May, at the start of lambing season, Icelandic farmers prepare for the birth of a new flock. This is a special time when each newborn lamb is welcomed. Farmers take great care to track which lambs have come from which ewe and as they grow and develop in these first few weeks, they keep a watchful eye on them. By having a close relationship with their sheep, filled with care and concern, risk factors in health and disease are minimized.

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