Crowberry, the overlooked, understudied, but valuable natural resource of the Arctic

Black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) is a perennial shrub with a circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere and a history of use by the locals. For example, the Sámi have used crowberry in various ways, being the central berry species of their diet. Besides the medical use to treat infections, fever, and fatigue, as well as preventing scurvy, the Sámi used crowberry for repelling insects, whereas the Ainu have used it as a dye. The crowberry has two subspecies, of which the northern one is more prolific and tastier with a higher content of phenolic compounds. In this project, we will first investigate the traditional uses of crowberry. The obtained knowledge is used for guiding molecular-level analyses, which is then used to explore potential future applications to widen the range of crowberry use in sustainable bioeconomy of the Arctic. The project data will be produced and shared together with the Indigenous people. Modern-day uses of crowberry, such as wine production, could further be diversified, for example, as a natural dye in food and textile industry.