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Webinar: The Nordic Kitchen Manifesto - a catalyst for exploring future dialogues on sustainable and healthy food systems

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Publication date 10.9.2021 11.45
News item

The webinar is a kickoff for creating a constructive dialogue about Nordic food culture and its different drivers for promoting sustainable lifestyle. It’s time to explore the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto as a catalyst in creating a new tool for a constructive dialogue to match the different sustainability perspectives of just food systems in the Nordics.

The Zoom- webinar is held 27th of September 2021 at 12.00-15:00 EEST, Helsinki.
Registration (DL 24th of September) here.  


The Nordics are on a mission to transform their food systems. The countries want to further strengthen their role as pioneers. One step for reaching sustainable development goals is to share Nordic solutions, innovations and best practices. Here we need to listen to, network with, be inspired by and learn from the younger generation of professionals such as chefs and other key actors within the whole value chain of food. 

The Nordic Kitchen Manifesto was conceived and formulated in 2004 and summarized in ten points on purity, season, ethics, health, sustainability and quality. It has led us to a new level of consciousness by placing meals in front and in center. Support for bottom-up processes and innovation in the food service sector have been a priority for Nordic co-operation ever since. National strategies have subsequently been drawn up, using food as a tool not only for attracting tourism, supporting artisans and entrepreneurs, improving hospitality, national branding and sustainable growth but also to consolidate new holistic principles for Nordic food identity based on sustainability and good health. 

The New Nordic is the new normal. It has slowly become part of our educational system teaching the next generation about food, agriculture, cooking and sustainable wellbeing that benefits us all. The growing awareness, actions and new forms of leadership revitalizes our Nordic food culture and identity every day. Moving ahead we need a constructive dialogue and networking with drivers for change in building an equitable and just food system transformation.

The revitalization process is facilitated by the New Nordic Food programme and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as part of Finland's presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. The New Nordic Food programme aims at initiating, facilitating and coordinating activities grounded in the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto. The revitalization process includes a kick off webinar for stakeholders, workshops for focus groups, networking events, dialogues and communications in the Nordic countries 2021-2022. 

The webinar is organized in technical collaboration with Hanaholmen – the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre. 


The Nordic webinar will be executed in Swedish and English. We reserve the right for changes in the programme. The webinar is open for everyone and registration in advance is needed.

Warmly welcome! 

For more information about the webinar, programme and communications: 

Bettina C. Lindfors
Project Manager, New Nordic Food 
Nordic Council of Ministers c/o Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
+358 40 920 9810

[email protected]
Twitter: @BettinaLindfors

For more information about the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto, www.norden.org/en/information/new-nordic-food-manifesto  

For more information about New Nordic Food programme, 
www.norden.org/en/new-nordic-food

PROGRAMME

12:00 Opening of webinar – setting the Nordic table 
          Moderator Bettina C. Lindfors, Project Manager, New Nordic Food 

12:05 Why does sustainable food policy in a Nordic context matter?
          Jari Leppä, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland

12:15 Sustainability at the core of Nordic cooperation – how to engage in change?         
          Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic cooperation and equality

12:25 New Nordic Kitchen manifesto strengthens the Nordic as 

          a sustainable gastronomic region
         – voices from the initiators of the manifesto with the lead of Leif Sörensen, chef,
         Faroe Islands & representatives of the younger generations of chefs and other

         key actors in the food systems about drivers for the future 

Inspirational talks about the challenges and possibilities for Nordic co-operation within sustainability perspectives of food systems:

12:45 Sustainability perspective from Greenland by Anne Nivíka Grødem, Deputy
          Manager, Sermersooq Business and Cluster Manager & NERISA - an Arctic

          Food Cluster
 

12:55 Sustainability perspective from Iceland by Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir,

          Manager, Icelandic Tourism Cluster 

13:10 The potential of hospitality for contributing to the green transition - how MAD is                    doing  this by Magnus Nilsson, Director, MAD Academy, Denmark

13:25 Sustainability perspective from Sweden by Elin Aronsson-Beis, Sustainability

          consultant in food business, FoodLoopz & Paul Svensson, chef, developer of

          restaurant business
 

13:35 Sustainability perspective from Finland by Hanna
          Mattila, Ministerial Adviser, Climate Food Programme, Ministry of Agriculture
          and Forestry & Robert Jordas, vertical gardener, Lilla Robbes Trädgård
 

13:50 Sustainability perspective from Norway by Sustainability perspective from Norway by              Astrid Regine Nässlander, food entrepreneur, food culture carrier, HÖST Matverksted              AS

14:05 Sustainability perspective from Faroe Islands by Elisabeth Skarðhamar Olsen,
          lecturer, University of Faroe Islands

14:20 Sustainability perspective from Åland Islands by Gustav Eriksson, Chef,  
          Silverskär and Johanna Dahlgren, food & beverage entrepreneur, Pub
          Stallhagen, Chair of Artisan food entrepreneurs in Åland Islands 

14:35 Wrap up of inspirational talks about possibilities and challenges
          with representatives of the younger generation of chefs and other key actors in                      Nordic food systems

14:45 Process of creating a constructive dialogue tool – common steps forward 

          Bettina C. Lindfors, Project Manager, New Nordic Food
 

15:00 End of webinar