Welcome to join a webinar on “Critical water and energy issues in the green transition of Nordic–Baltic food systems” September 26th 14.00- 16.00 (CET).
Join a conversation on the water-energy-food nexus. We will also explore current knowledge gaps regarding climate change adaption and how we can address them.
The webinar is free of charge and open for all interested.
14:00 Welcome to the webinar and presentation of the project A Nordic-Baltic framework for sustainable food systems which is funded by the Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ). Sofie Andersson, NKJ secretariat
14:10 Introduction of keynote speakers and theme for the webinar. Cristián Alarcón Ferrari and Johanna Bergman Lodin, SLU, Sweden
14:15 Presentation Climate induced water insecurity and adaptation, what knowledges to assess and how Martina Angela Caretta, docent, associate professor human geography department, Lund University, Sweden
14:50 Questions and answers (open for the audience) and feedback from invited experts and/or contributors
15:05 Presentation The food-water-energy nexus in the Arctic region David Natcher, professor in the department of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada).
15.15 Questions and answers
15:20 Open discussion with the project participants and audience (facilitated by miro board)
15:50-16:00 Summary and conclusions of the webinar and ways forward
The webinar is organized in the framework of a Nordic Baltic framework for sustainable food systems, sponsored by the Nordic Joint Committee for Food and Agricultural Research in Sweden.
The Nordic–Baltic Framework for Sustainable Food Systems
Building upon the necessity to urgently establish Nordic-Baltic sustainable food systems, this project is multidisciplinary and made up of several components; a database, webinars, the Innofood event, communication in social medias and a scientific article. The consortium, led by Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, covers all the major areas connected to sustainable food systems and is made up of eight partners:
• Ruralia Institute/University of Helsinki (UH)
• The Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)
• Consumption Research Norway (OsloMet)
• University of Copenhagen (UC)
• Kost Studio (KS)
• University of Faroe Islands (UFI)
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
• Estonian Business School (EBS)
To be able to support young people in diversifying their businesses and contributing to rural rejuvenation, we need to know how to do that. Therefore NKJ organized a workshop facilitating discussions among key stakeholders.
The workshop “On-farm diversification among young farmers in the Nordic/Baltic countries” gathered key stakeholders to contribute to policy recommendations for the Nordic Council of Ministers. Before the workshop there has been both a desk research and a literature review. The purpose is to understand the role and context of farm diversification and highlight challenges and policy recommendations to support young farm entrepreneurs.
Several challenges with farm diversification have been identified. Venturing into new areas requires acquiring new competences and skills. The main “farmer identity” might be challenged with a broader range of activities and income streams. Necessary investments can be costly, and loans can be difficult to obtain for young entrepreneurs. So, how to make it possible for young farmers to diversify their businesses?
The workshop participants mentioned both financial difficulties, legislative obstacles and lack of land for sale as factors to be considered. Proposals from the participants was to inspire young people to take loans together and to provide support for the development of model pilot farms and to develop the system for buying and selling land. They also saw the need to make agricultural entrepreneurship a more high-status job, and to use social media to spread awareness about food production. The need for platforms for knowledge exchange and networking seems to be big.
– The point of views from those inside the agricultural sector, knowing it inside-out, will influence what we pass on to the Nordic Council of Ministers. The workshop was a valuable contribution to our work.
– The participants pointed out that diversification of agricultural operations leads to an increased regulatory burden as the farmer needs to familiarize himself with additional regulations, for example if they diversify into food craft or restaurant operations. This is an important issue that we will highlight in the policy brief, says Maria Tunberg, Analysys Mason, project coordinator.
NKJ goes on with the work with the policy recommendations for the Nordic Council of Ministers, and will include the workshop results.
Literatureindicatesthat a changingfarming landscape in Nordic/Baltic countriescomeswithchallenges: • The farming sector is consolidating resulting in a declining number of farms
• Farm managers are aging and predominantly male; female successors less inclined to take over
• Low youth retention pose a problem for prosperity since young people are key for innovation and growth
• Social and cultural needs are not being met to the same extent in rural environments, further hampering youth retention
• Destructive norms and stereotypes regarding rural life are among key drivers for increased relocation among youth to urban areas
NKJ and SNS secretariat has been reinforced with an administrator, Louise Berger. She will also act as a contact person for the networks financed by the organisations. Scrolla ner för svensk text
In September, Louise Berger started working at NKJ and SNS joint secretariat. She will serve as an administrative support for the project managers, work on the annual reports, keep in touch with the researcher networks, hold some meetings and workshops and a lot of other things.
Louise has a degree as a horticultural engineer, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She has previously worked in the private sector with administration and logistics.
– It will be interesting to see more of the public sector and learn more about how it works, says Louise.
– It will also be exciting to see more of the Nordic context and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Louise lives on a large crop farm with approximately 420 hectares located on one of Sweden’s best farmlands. With her new job at SNS and NKJ secretariat, she will touch more upon the forest sector.
– I have gained a newfound interest in forests, with the course I’ve already taken!
Otherwise, apple cultivation is a big interest of her’s, perhaps a few hectares on the farm could eventually become an apple farm?
– It would give a year-round perspective and seasonally fit in well with grain cultivation.
– I am very much looking forward to the job here at the secretariat!
Hobby: singing in a church choir. Jogging, pilates. Gardening. Apple cultivation.
Unexpected: has been singing in a choir behind Tommy Nilsson – three times
Swedish text
SNS och NKJ’s sekretariat har fått förstärkning med en administratör som heter Louise Berger. Hon kommer också att fungera som kontaktperson för de nätverk som vi finansierar.
I september började Louise Berger jobba på SNS och NKJ’s gemensamma sekretariat. Hon kommer att fungera som ett administrativt stöd för projektledarna, hålla i arbetet med årsrapporter, hålla kontakten med de nätverk som organisationerna finansierar, hålla i en del möten och workshops och en hel del annat.
Louise har en examen som trädgårdsingenjör, och dessutom en kandidatexamen i företagsekonomi. Hon har tidigare arbetat inom den privata sektorn med administration och logistik.
– Det ska bli roligt att få se mer av den offentliga sektorn och lära sig mer om hur den fungerar, säger Louise.
– Det ska också bli spännande att se mer av det nordiska sammanhanget och ministerrådet.
Louise bor på en stor växtodlingsgård med ungefär 420 hektar på en av Sveriges bästa åkermarker. I och med sitt nya arbete på SNS och NKJ’s sekretariat kommer hon att få mer kontakt med skogsnäringen.
– Jag har fått ett nyvunnet intresse i skog, i och med kursen som jag redan har gått!
Annars är det äppelodling som intresserar, kanske några hektar på gården kan bli en äppelodling så småningom?
– Det skulle ju ge ett helårsperspektiv och säsongsmässigt passa bra ihop med spannmålsodlingen.
– Jag ser jättemycket fram emot jobbet här på sekretariatet!
Hobby: sjunger i kyrkokör. Springer, tränar pilates. Trädgård. Äppelodling.
Alnarp, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU and the Nordic cooperation bodies SNS and NKJ hosted the Nordic-Baltic forum on plant pests 2024. Every year, there is an opportunity to exchange the latest research and to create collaborations between the countries.
The participants in the meeting at Alnarp came from eight Nordic and Baltic countries, and they are part of an informal forum that has existed for a long time; Nordic-Baltic Phytosanitary Forum. The forum focuses on plant protection issues and plant pests. The purpose is to prevent the spread of pests and protect plantations, forests, trees and other plant environments from them.
Mainly, the participants work for the various national plant protection authorities responsible for managing regulated plant pests, and clearly benefit from working together in a Nordic-Baltic environment.
– As neighbors, the eight Nordic and Baltic countries share a relatively similar climate and similar flora, crops and forests. Everyone benefits from intensive and advanced plant and forest production. Many also have a long shared political and cultural history, and an interest in preventing the introduction and spreading of new plant pests that can cause major damage. We are also stronger together to take on challenges and try to find solutions, says Kristof Capieau, chief plant health officer at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
In addition to creating contact and discussions, the participants in the meeting received presentations by Federation of Leisure Gardeners (FOR) concerning the collaboration with the Swedish Board for Agriculture regarding citizen research regarding quarantine pests, and SLU Risk Assessment of Plant Pests about their new reports regarding risks with the Colorado potato beetle. Researchers from the SLU research group in forest pathology at the Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre talked about their latest projects and methods, and Krister Tham, Founder and CTO at Katam, talked about his work.
The park on the SLU Alnarp campus is well worth a visit, and the group was guided around there.
Another purpose of the meeting was to signal the importance of cooperation between authorities, universities and other relevant actors in society. Through collaboration, it is possible to achieve an increased understanding of each other’s needs and the goals. Amongst other things, there is a need to highlight the importance of obtaining new knowledge and new methods for managing plant pests, which authorities can use to take the right measures and make effective and well-motivated decisions regarding plant pests.
– There are a number of different quarantine pests that can threaten our plants. Examples that were touched upon during our meeting in Sweden are the root gall nematodes Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax which, among other things, attack potatoes. Another was the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis, which attacks ash and which, due to the geopolitical situation, risks a faster spread from the east to the EU’s external border, says Kristof Capieau.
– Cooperation alone cannot guarantee that quarantine pests won’t become a reality in Sweden. However, it can clearly contribute to better conditions to prevent an introduction to our countries.
Jonas Rönnberg, director of the SLU Forest Damage Centre, also sees great benefit from a collaboration like the forum.
– Forest pests see no national borders. By collaboration, we can exchange experiences and get quick information about new pests that are about to spread.
Popular Science Piece from NKJ network Cultured meat – Nordic take
Nordic consumers generally have a neutral to slightly positive perception of cultivated meat, particularly among men and younger individuals. Acceptance of cultivated meat is likely to increase if policies are designed and executed in alignment with the principles of Nordic welfare societies.
Contact: Jette Feveile Young,
Cultivated meat is a relatively new food concept, currently in the developmental stages in terms of both technology and consumer awareness/acceptance. While the USA, the Netherlands, and Israel are leading the way, the Nordic region features a significant food production and food & biotech industry, with a strong focus on green transition and innovation. Consequently, the Nordic countries have much to offer in developing cultivated meat from a technical perspective. Surveys conducted in Norway, Finland, and Denmark reveal that consumers in these countries have a neutral to slightly optimistic view of cultivated meat, particularly among men and younger individuals. Familiarity with cultivated meat appears to enhance acceptance, and consumers who are surrounded by positive attitudes and intentions toward cultivated meat within their social networks are more inclined to try it.
However, attitudes and engagement alone are not sufficient. Cultivated meat production in the Nordic countries must include solutions acceptable to the typical Nordic consumer, with a positive environmental footprint being a crucial factor for the endorsement. For the Nordic consumers to accept cultivated meat, sustainability aspects such as energy consumption, land use, raw material source and ethics must be addressed. Generally, cultivated meat based on non-GMO cells and locally accessible raw material for cell media and scaffolding is considered a favorable solution in Nordic countries. Cultivated meat is likely to be embraced only if policies are designed and implemented in the spirit of the Nordic welfare societies. This means ensuring that no one, including farmers or traditional industries, is left behind, while also addressing the environmental, societal, and ethical aspects of cultivated meat.
Nordic consumers’ beliefs about the necessity of cultivated meat and its impacts on the global economy are significant predictors of their intentions to buy and consume it. Additionally, positive first impressions of cultivated meat drive intentions and dietary substitution, even though familiarity and knowledge associated with cultivated meat are somewhat limited.
Jette Feveile Young at the 2nd International Cellular Agriculture Conference 11-12.06.2024.
The network Cultivated Meat – Nordic take has focused, from start to finish, on information, awareness and societal debates as crucial factors for engaging stakeholders and gaining consumer acceptance. Information about the novel concept of cultivated meat has been communicated through podcasts, popular media, scientific media, festivals, radio and television. These network activities have been interwoven, leading to common international and collaborative applications and conference organization. Both Norway and Denmark have successfully attracted large grants covering technical topics as well as ethics and social sciences. These projects, with their broad scopes and activities, are well-suited for vital interdisciplinary collaborations and serve as essential vital platforms from which to communicate scientific breakthroughs and engage with the public in the Nordic countries.
THE NETWORK: Cultured meat – Nordic take:
The technology of cultured meat is still at the early stages and many concepts have yet to be investigated. The network has contributed to increase the awareness of this topic among stakeholders (academia, companies, investors, and different types of organization) and its emerging activities in the Nordic countries. Following the first stakeholder seminar in 2022 (online due to Covid-19) some stakeholders made contact of which a few led to collaborations and also direct funding.
Köckner, C.A., Engel, L., Moritz, J., Burton, R.J., Young, J.F., Kidmose, U., Ryynänen, T. 2022. Milk, Meat, and Fish from the petri dish – Which attributes would make cultured proteins (un)attractive and for whom? Results from a Nordic survey. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 6, 17 s., 847931 DOI: 0.3389/fsufs.2022.847931
Engel, L., Vilhelmsen, K., Richter, I., Moritz, J., Ryynänen, T., Young, J.F., Burton, R.J.F., Kidmose U., Klöckner, C.A. (2024). Psychological factors influencing consumer intentions to consume cultured meat, fish and dairy. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107501
Rasmussen, M.K., Gold, J., Kaiser, M.W., Moritz, J., Räty, N., Rönning, S.B., Ryynänen, T., Skrivergaard, S., Ström, A., Therkildsen, M., Tuomisto, H.L., Young, J.F. (2024). Critical review of cultivated meat from a Nordic perspective. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 144: 104336. DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104336
Wali, M.E., Karinen, H., Rønning, S.B., Dorca-Preda, T., Skrivergaard, S., Rasmussen, M.K., Young, J.F., Therkildsen, M., Mogensen, L., Ryynänen, T., Tuomisto, H.L. (2024). Life cycle assessment of culture media with alternative compositions for cultured meat production. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. Published online 1 Aug 2024. DOI: 10.1007/s11367-024-02350-6
How can we bridge different knowledge systems when making decisions, policies and research that concerns reindeer husbandry? Join the live stream of a Nordic side event at LUKEs Reindeer and Fish Science Days August 27, 08.00–10.00 CEST.
The side event is a panel debate on traditional, local, and scientific knowledge, and how to bridge different knowledge systems for thriving livelihoods and well-functioning governance in reindeer husbandry. During this panel we will hear perspectives from Norway, Sweden and Finland on how to bridge different knowledge systems when making decisions, policies and research.
The debate is hosted by The Nordic Reindeer Committee, with Mika Survonen (president of the Nordic Reindeer Committee, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland) and Sirpa Rasmus (University of Lapland). Panelists will be: • Marja-Kristin Skum,reindeer herder and secretary at the Truth Commission for the Sami people in Sweden • Svein Morten Eilertsen, research scientist at NIBIO, Division of Forest and Forest Resources Wildlife and Rangelands in Norway • Sanna Hast, land-use specialist at the Reindeer Herders’ Association in Finland • Bruce Forbes, Research professor at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
Physically the side event will take place in Ylläs, Finland, but for interested who is not visiting the Reindeer and Fish Science Days, it will be live streamed August 27, 09.00–11.00 Finnish time (08.00–10.00 CEST).
Sign up by sending an email to to register for the online event and you will be sent a link to Zoom.
The kitchen manifesto for new Nordic food turns 20 years. It was celebrated with a workshop and a Nordic dinner in connection with the minister meeting in Karlstad. Photo: Frida Hagman, Länsstyrelsen Värmland
The purpose of the workshop was to pave the way for continued collaboration in food culture in the Nordic region. The Nordic region is a pioneer in sustainable food production and a reference internationally for a healthy food culture, and we want to work to maintain that position. The participants discussed which themes are important for the upcoming work. Among other things, the discussion touched values, competitiveness, proteins of the future and innovation.
The results of the workshop were then discussed at the meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MR-FJLS) on 19 June. The foundation was also laid for a dialogue that will be arranged in the autumn, and where many actors in various parts of Nordic gastronomy and food production will be involved. The dialogue will further elaborate the Nordic food culture for the future.
20 years of shared, Nordic food culture and collaboration must be celebrated properly! It was done through an evening menu by Christoffer Schyman at Matstudion in Karlstad, based on local ingredients and drinks in a New Nordic spirit. During the evening, speeches were given by Camilla Bender Larson, chairman of the steering group for New Nordic Food, and Judith Kyst, director at Madkulturen and representative in the steering group for new Nordic food. Christina Möller and Carl Jan Granqvist also spoke during the evening about the importance of gastronomy, the joint work with food culture and the importance of food enjoyment.
“Value Creation of Cross Border Cooperation for Field Trial Experiments”
This webinar aims to explore how cross-border cooperation can overcome challenges faced by smaller research projects, which might otherwise be overlooked, and how it can facilitate broader variety testing and screening. By working together, we can increase the size and diversity of our datasets, including a wider range of climatic conditions and soil types across the Nordic region.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
Present ideas for cross-border projects
Gain inspiration for new projects
Identify potential collaborators across the Nordic region
Learn from others’ experiences in managing cross-Nordic projects
Discover potential funding sources to support cross-border Nordic projects
Discussion Points:
Identifying research areas and applied field trial experiments that would benefit from a wider collaboration
Discussing the future of field trial experiments in this context
Leveraging the Nordic field trial system (NFTS) as a digital hub for data collection and analysis, fostering cross-border cooperation
Exploring innovative ideas for implementing cross-border cooperation, sharing data, and knowledge on technology and methods
The Nordic-Baltic region faces urgent challenges in reducing CO2 emissions, requiring a joint effort towards sustainable energy solutions. Leveraging bioenergy solutions emerges as a key strategy to meet emission goals. It offers the potential to diminish reliance on fossil fuels across various sectors including heating, electricity generation, and transportation.
Text: From the report “Bioenergy – Knowledge transfer in the Nordic-Baltic region for increased uptake of sustainable bioenergy”
Commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and supported through the Bioeconomy programme, this scoping paper delves into the intricate landscape of bioenergy innovations within the region. Employing a mixed-method approach combining desktop research and interviews, the study identifies opportunities for further knowledge transfer activities in the Nordic-Baltic region.
A technology neutral approach is vital for knowledge exchange activities as highlighted by experts included in the study. The interviews moreover led to the following observations:
✓ Current biomass challenges are directly linked to geopolitical conflicts
✓ Bioenergy has to rely on by-products, low value biomass and waste
✓ Bioenergy innovations are required to be flexible
✓ Regional areas of excellence provide opportunity for knowledge sharing
✓ Nordic-Baltic strongholds lie in integrated systems of bioenergy solutions
✓ Nordic-Baltic experts would benefit from a cooperation platform and regional funding
✓ Universities are a useful meeting place for experts to build solutions for local contexts
The Nordic-Baltic region gathers a wealth of expertise and industry interest in biomass use for energy production. Additionally, the region showcases various integrated system solutions for bioenergy—knowledge that could be applicable to other areas lacking such comprehensive approaches. This context provides a fertile foundation for fostering regional knowledge exchange and facilitating the adoption of innovative practices. Yet, amidst geopolitical uncertainties and fluctuating markets, the need for adaptability and flexibility in bioenergy strategies becomes apparent.
In response to these findings, a series of recommendations are proposed for further knowledge sharing activities:
✓ Facilitating industry and academy interactions via a Nordic-Baltic cooperation platform
✓ Supporting existing networks active in the region
✓ Creating a Nordic- Baltic call to promote regional cooperation
✓ Identifying successful integrated local solutions for knowledge sharing
✓ Involving tomorrow’s talents: organisation of Nordic-Baltic hackathons
Nine new networks are granted funding from NKJ from 2024. The fokus of the call was all aspects of food and agriculture.
The NKJ board made a decision to fund nine new networks, during their last meeting in the end of February. The number of applications was all time high, and the number of funded networks also turned out higher than usual. The applications was of high standard and the networks highly relevant, and therefore the board found it easy to grant more of them.
The total sum shared between the networks is 2 500 000 SEK, which is much higher than usual, due to the large number of granted networks.
The focus of the call this time was broad and open for networks in all aspects of food and agricultural research. The aim of the call was to facilitate collaboration between researchers in the Nordic countries, increase synergies and bridge gaps between research and practice. And in the end, nine applicants was found responding best to the requirements.
Congratulations to all granted networks, and welcome to work for a sustainable agriculture sector together with NKJ!
Next chance to apply for funding for research networks from NKJ will be in 2025. Sign upp for the NKJ newsletter to know when the next call opens!
These are the new NKJ researcher network:
2024-01 Nordic network of agricultural data scientists
Welcome to join a webinar on “Critical water and energy issues in the green transition of Nordic–Baltic food systems” September 26th 14.00- 16.00 (CET).
Find the report