The Nordic Land Use Conference
– solutions for sustainable land use in the Nordic region
Venue:  The conference venue is the Lecture hall Loftet, at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Alnarp. Address: Sundsvägen 6, 234 56 Alnarp, Sweden.
Time: 10-11 December, 2025
Fee: Conference participation is free of charge!

The conference aims to engage researchers, state officials, municipal workers, interest groups, intergovernmental organisations and private land owners from the Nordic region in a dialogue on policy needs related to land use.

The program will begin with a presentation of the report “Changes to Agricultural Land Use in the Nordic Countries – and Future Prospects for Collaboration”, providing an overview of changes in land use and future opportunities for collaboration. This will be followed by keynote speakers who will delve into the conference’s overarching theme.

The conference will then continue with thematic sessions that delve deeper into current issues. These sessions will bring together research projects and policy examples from the Nordic countries, with discussions led by experienced moderators to foster a dynamic and constructive dialogue.

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this important conference and contribute to the development of more sustainable land use in the Nordic region!

Call for posters

We are welcoming the scientific community, national agencies, municipalities, NGOs etc to submit a poster for the Nordic Land Use Conference. The aim of the poster session is to showcase initiatives on sustainable land use from the Nordic region and beyond.

The poster can for example showcase a research project, policy development or a development project. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Land use and energy production
• Goal conflict management in land use planning
• Functional landscapes
• Spatial tools for land use planning
• Stakeholder dialogues for sustainable land use

The posters will be exhibited during the conference, and a poster session will be held on the first day of the conference. The poster will also be included in the conference summary report that will be published as an output to the conference.

Authors of accepted posters are expected to print their posters and to exhibit them during the conference. Poster presenters are given a reduced conference fee.

Submission of poster
Submit your proposal for poster in either pdf-format or ppt-format by email to nkj@slu.se and we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm its acceptance. Posters must be in standing format, and either of A1 size or 70 cm wide, 100 cm high.
The deadline is passed.

Register here
The conference is free of charge!
Deadline for registration is past.

Preliminary program
Day 1
11:15–12:15 Registration
12:15–13:15 Lunch
13:30–13:40 Welcome and purpose of the conference w. Aðalsteinn Sigurgeirsson, president of SNS
13:40–13.50 Results from report on agricultural land use change in Nordic region w. Sofie Andersson and Malin von Essen
13:50–14:20 Keynote w. Henrik Vejre
14:20–14.30 Information on thematic sessions
14:30–15:00 Coffee break
15:00–17:00 Thematic session 1 & 2 (parallel)
17.00–17.15 Conclusions & sum up day 1
17:15–19:00 Poster session and mingle
19:00–approx. 21:00 Networking dinner

Day 2
08:00–08:15 Registration and coffee
08:15–08:30 Welcome back and recap from yesterday
08:30–09:00 Keynote w. Arne Bardalen
09:00–09:20 Coffee break
09:20–11:20 Thematic session 3 & 4 (parallel)
11:20–11:45 Conclusions & sum up
11:45–12:45 Networking lunch

Thematic sessions
Each thematic session will engage the participants in a discussion on solutions and challenges to get there within the chosen topic. The session will begin with 2-3 presentations of best practices, tools and models which will be followed by a workshop.

Thematic session 1
Balancing Solar Energy and Land Use: Policy and Practice in the Nordic Region
Description: This session explores policy development and emerging research related to the expansion of photovoltaics (PV) in the Nordic region. With increasing demand for renewable energy, particularly solar power, land use planning faces new challenges in balancing energy production with other policy goals such as forestry, biodiversity, agriculture, and cultural heritage. The session will highlight guidelines and practical examples of how photovoltaics can be integrated into Nordic landscapes in a sustainable and accepted way.

Confirmed speakers:
• Sanna Andersson, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
”Policy development for regulating solar power expansion in Finland”
• Espen Olsen, Professor at the Dep of Physics, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
”Agri-PV: Combining agriculture and solar energy in Nordic countries”

Thematic session 2
Collaborative approaches to functional landscapes I
Description: This session focuses on functional landscapes and the opportunities they offer to combine production, biodiversity, and other land use objectives. It will explore how collaborative approaches – such as stakeholder dialogues – can help balance competing interests, align national and international policy goals, and enhance synergies in land use.
Through examples from the Nordic region, the session will highlight how improved cooperation between stakeholders can support more sustainable and multifunctional landscapes. Case studies will demonstrate how dialogue can serve as a powerful tool to increase acceptance of land use changes, reconcile private and public interests, and foster innovative solutions. The session also considers how successful models and tools can be scaled or adapted to other Nordic contexts.

Confirmed speakers:
• Hreinn Oskarsson, Head of department at Land and Forest Iceland
”Stakeholder inclusion and involvement in the Hekluskógar project”
• Carina Wettemark, Head of the Unit for Biosphere and Naturum and Coordinator for UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Kristianstads Vattenrike
”Stakeholder involvement for functional landscapes – Biosphere Reserve
    Kristianstads Vattenrike”

Thematic session 3
Spatial tools to support decision- and policymaking
Description: Spatial data, analysis, and modelling offer valuable support for decision-making in complex and multi-layered land use contexts. This session explores how spatial tools can serve as a knowledge base to guide planning and policy development. Key themes include the integration of diverse data sources, practical applications for land use planning, and strategies for user accessibility.

Confirmed speakers:
• Benjamin David Henning, Professor of Geography at the University of Iceland
”Participatory mapping platform for ecological restoration of the Icelandic highlands”
• Moritz Kaiser, M.Sc. at Michael Succow Foundation, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre
”The European wetland map”
• Gunnhild Søgaard, Head of Department Forest and Climate, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
”Map-based greenhouse gas calculator for spatial planning purposes”

Thematic session 4
Collaborative approaches to functional landscapes II
Description: This session focuses on functional landscapes and the opportunities they offer to combine production, biodiversity, and other land use objectives. It will explore how collaborative approaches – such as stakeholder dialogues – can help balance competing interests, align national and international policy goals, and enhance synergies in land use.
Through examples from the Nordic region, the session will highlight how improved cooperation between stakeholders can support more sustainable and multifunctional landscapes. Case studies will demonstrate how dialogue can serve as a powerful tool to increase acceptance of land use changes, reconcile private and public interests, and foster innovative solutions. The session also considers how successful models and tools can be scaled or adapted to other Nordic contexts.

Confirmed speakers:
• Sara Vangerschov Iversen, Ph.D Landscape Ecologist and Tenure Track Assistant Professor at Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Aarhus University
”Understanding human values in the implementation of multifunctional landscapes in Denmark”
• Emma Luoma, Leading specialist at Akordi
”Platform for reindeer husbandry and wind power in Finland”

How to get there
When travelling abroad by plane, it is recommended to fly to Copenhagen airport Kastrup. From the airport to the venue you can take the train directly from the airport to Burlöv station and from there take the bus to Campus Alnarp. You can buy your train/bus ticket in the Skånetrafiken machines at the airport or in the Skånetrafiken app.

Organisers
Nordisk Kommitté för Jordbruks- och matforskning (NKJ) and SamNordisk Skogsforskning (SNS), funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers

Background
During the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (EK-FJLS Agriculture and Forestry) meeting in Hardanger in April 2022, land use conflicts related to food production and agricultural land were discussed. The committee members recognised that agricultural and arable land is a limited resource, and that strategies and political guidelines to limit agricultural land loss and ensure food security while also ensuring that other national needs are met differ among Nordic countries. Following this discussion, Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) and Nordic Forest Research (SNS) were assigned to provide the committee with further knowledge on the situation of agricultural land and how agricultural land use disputes are handled in the Nordic countries. The results from this report form the foundation for this conference.

Photo: Minna Kaljonen

In Helsinki, Finland, nearly 300 researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders connected to food systems, gathered for the conference under the theme ”Securing sustainable food systems in turbulent times.”

– The aim was to dig deep into how the Nordic and Baltic countries can create resilient and sustainable food systems for the future together, in these geopolitically turbulent times, says Minna Kaljonen, coordinator and one of the organizers of the conference.

The key messages from the NFN2025 were delivered to the Nordic Council of Ministers meeting in Kuopio 11-12.6.2025. The organisers emphasized the need for strong institutional support for transdisciplinary food systems research and policy. They argued that the Nordic Council of Ministers could take a stronger role in breaking the siloed sectoral policies and prioritizing food systems research in research funding. The geopolitical turbulences underline the need to look for solutions that give multiple benefits.

Results seminar and policy forum

The conference started with the results-seminar after a Finnish six-year long Food-program, funded by the Strategic Research Council Finland. Three transdisciplinary projects concentrating on just food systems transition (www.justfood.fi), legume value chains (www.leg4life.fi) and regenerative farming (https://www.bsag.fi/en/carbon-action-en/) showcased the solutions for building sustainable, climate-smart and healthy food systems.

The events continued with the Food Policy Forum with high-level keynotes on how the Nordic and Baltic countries are aiming to strengthen the resilience of their food systems and making them crises proof at the same time. The keynotes from Finland, Estonia and Sweden showcased somewhat different approaches to preparedness, but highlighted the collective challenges as well.

A PhD network was also kicked off during the conference and will continue to support peer-to-peer learning amongst the early career researchers.

– It really allowed mutual learning among the different countries, says Minna Kaljonen.
– It also brought up some key differences between them as well.

Prepare for crises

Minna Kaljonen points out the importance of preparing our food systems for various types of crises today, while also maintaining a long-term perspective. This may, for example, concern the use of inputs: fertilizers, seeds, energy and the like. As an example of how to tackle the existing challenges, she mentions the importance of decentralizing production to support circular solutions, and better collaboration between plant and livestock farms in nutrient recycling. Agro-ecological symbiosis was showcased as one example by Rogier Schulte, one of the keynotes in the conference.

– Personally, I see climate change as the one big key threat that compels us to really think about how we produce and consume food. In addition to building long-term resilience, we need to find solutions to be prepared to crises in short-term as well. The key challenge for both food system actors and policy makers is how to keep these both time horizons in mind in decision-making, says Minna Kaljonen.

As part of the solution, she wants to see the Nordic-Baltic food systems as several different systems, but she also emphasizes that they are interconnected. According to Minna Kaljonen, systems thinking can help us move forward.

– This conference took several steps forward in this direction, at the very least brought people together to discuss in these terms, and it really showed that there is a great need for this kind of platform for people from different disciplines to reflect on how food systems work. The Baltic-Nordic perspectives make the solutions tangible.

Now, the organizers are planning the next conference, eyeing Estonia as a possible location. The aim is to hold the conference every other year.

Find more information about the NFN2025

Join the LinkedIn NFN2025 group

How can we balance the multiple needs of land use in the Nordic region? Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) and Nordic Forest Research (SNS) invite you to a conference where challenges and opportunities in land use will be discussed from both research and policy perspectives.

The Nordic Land Use Conference
– solutions for sustainable land use in the Nordic region
Place: Hótel Varmaland, Borgarnes, Iceland
Time: May 7, 2025
Programme: scroll down

The conference aims to engage researchers and civil servants in a dialogue on national policy needs related to land use. Therefore, participants from the political sector, research organizations, and other relevant stakeholders are welcome.

The program will begin with a presentation of the upcoming report “Changes to Agricultural Land Use in the Nordic Countries – and Future Prospects for Collaboration”, providing an overview of changes in land use and future opportunities for collaboration. This will be followed by keynote speakers who will delve into the conference’s overarching theme.

The conference will then continue with thematic sessions that delve deeper into current issues. These sessions will bring together research projects and policy examples from the Nordic countries, with discussions led by experienced moderators to foster a dynamic and constructive dialogue.

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this important conference and contribute to the development of more sustainable land use in the Nordic region!

Register here THE CONFERENCE IS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE 
Registration fee is 1.500 SEK and includes lunch, conference refreshments and a three course dinner.

Target group
Developers or owners of concrete examples within the themes and current and potential users of them (this includes researchers, state officials, municipal workers, interest groups, intergovernmental organisations and private land owners, primarily in the Nordic region).

Preliminary program:

09:00–09.30 Registration

09:30–09:45 Opening statement

09:45–10.00 Presentation of report and purpose of conference

10:00–10:45 Keynote speaker 1

10:45–11.00 Coffee break

11:00–11:45 Panel discussion: The role of land use planning in preparedness

12.00–13.00 Lunch and networking

13.00–15:00 Thematic session 1 & 2 (parallel), see information below

15:00–17:00 Thematic session 3 & 4 (parallel) see information below

17.15 – 17.45 Conclusions & sum up

18:30 Networking dinner

Thematic sessions
Each thematic session will engage the participants in a discussion on solutions and challenges to get there within the chosen topic. The session will begin with 2-3 presentations of best practices, tools and models which will be followed by a workshop.

 Thematic session 1
Managing conflicting policy goals in land use management – Energy production

Description: The first two sessions will look into different tools, models and conclusions made from different parts of the Nordic region on how to handle conflicting policy goals and how various considerations and land-use interests can be balanced. This session will specifically focus on photovoltaics, how they can co-exict within landscapes, strategies and guidelines for handling the increased demand for photovoltaics.

Thematic session 2
Managing conflicting policy goals in land use management – functional landscapes

Description: The first two sessions will take a look into different tools, models and conclusions made from different parts of the Nordic region on how to handle conflicting policy goals and how various considerations and land-use interests can be balanced. This session will specifically focus on functional landscapes, for example the potentials of increasing biodiversity within a production landscape and steering instruments to prioritize between different national and international policy goals.

Thematic session 3
Spatial tools to support decision- and policymaking

Description: Spatial data, analysis and models can offer knowledge foundation to make decisions in high complexity situations. This session includes how to meet the challenge of data security, potentials of combinations of spatial data and sources and investigating how the establishment of the EU soil monitoring can be utilized for land use planning.

Thematic session 4
Multistakeholder dialogues in land use planning

Description: Dialogues can serve as a powerful tool to balance private and public interests in land use and to increase acceptance for land use changes amongst actors within a landscape. Improved cooperation between different stakeholders can also increase the likelihood that synergies in land use are exploited. This session explores local examples of stakeholder dialogues in the Nordic region and looks into the results and key learnings of them, to ultimately consider how these models and tools can be scaled or transferred to other parts in the Nordic region.

Organisers
Nordisk Kommitté för Jordbruks- och matforskning (NKJ) and SamNordisk Skogsforskning (SNS) / funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers

Background
During the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (EK-FJLS Agriculture and Forestry) meeting in Hardanger in April 2022, land use conflicts related to food production and agricultural land were discussed. The committee members recognised that agricultural and arable land is a limited resource, and that strategies and political guidelines to limit agricultural land loss and ensure food security while also ensuring that other national needs are met differ among Nordic countries. Following this discussion, Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) and Nordic Forest Research (SNS) were assigned to provide the committee with further knowledge on the situation of agricultural land and how agricultural land use disputes are handled in the Nordic countries. The results from this upcoming report form the foundation for this conference.

Food systems face multiple and by large, intertwined challenges. Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution call for immediate actions across the food system, from the fields to the plates. At the same time the geopolitical turbulences have raised food security concerns to the political agendas of the European states and the European Union. The meaning of food for our wellbeing and health is unquestionable and calls for stronger appreciation across society and by the people.

Dealing with such complex problems is a challenge for both research, policy makers, and food system actors. The intertwined challenges cannot be solved by focusing on a single element of the food system, or by a specific sectoral policy or individual scientific discipline. The 1st Nordic-Baltic food systems conference and policy forum invites researchers, policy makers and food system actors to take stock on the challenges related to securing sustainability food systems, share experiences across the Nordic and Baltic countries and look for innovative solutions and future collaborations.

Please find information and more detailed programme of the conference and policy forum here.

The call for papers is open until 17th January 2025.

The scientific committee welcomes all interested researchers, policy makers and food system actors to join the transdisciplinary discussions. Please distribute the call widely in your networks!

You are also welcome to join the LinkedIn group of Nordic-Baltic Network of Transdisciplinary Food Systems Research (NFN), which we have just opened. The aim of the NFN is to foster collaboration amongst Nordic-Baltic researchers, food system actors and policy makers on transdisciplinary food systems research. The network is open to all interested.

On behalf of the Nordic-Baltic scientific committee,

Minna Kaljonen, chair of the scientific committee and the conference, research professor, Finnish Environment Institute

Juha Helenius, co-chair of scientific committee and food policy forum, professor, University of Helsinki

Contact
nfn2025@confedent.fi

The topic of the 2022 conference was challenges to reindeer husbandry, in particular the impact of predators, as well as consequences of a changing climate in Sweden, Finland and Norway. The conference contained four parts: Part 1: Loss of reindeer to predators, Part 2: Governance, Part 3: Ongoing research projects and Part 4:  Reindeer husbandry in a changing climate. The report gives a summary of the presentations and discussions in each part.

The report also gives a long list of key take-aways from the conference. The importance of synthesis between traditional and scientific knowledge is one of the twelve points in the list. Download the report (below) to see all of the messages the participating researchers, authorities, organisations and stakeholders underline.

The Nordic Conference on Reindeer Husbandry was arranged 9-10 November 2022 at NIBIO Svanhovd, Pasvik, Norway.

Download report

See the recorded presentations from the conference

The topic of the 2022 conference was challenges to reindeer husbandry, in particular the impact of predators, as well as consequences of a changing climate in Sweden, Finland and Norway. The first day of the conference focused on current status, policy and governance on predators, and the second day focused on issues connected to climate change.

Find the speakers and their presentations in the outline of the program below:

Part 1 Loss of reindeer to predators
Keynote: “Main challenges”

Click on title/name for PowerPoint presentation, click on VIDEO for filmed presentation

• Paliskuntain yhdistys/Reindeer Herders Association Finland – Sanna Hast VIDEO

• Svenska samernas riksförbund/Reindeer herders organisation Sweden – Matti Blind Berg VIDEO

• Norske Reindriftsamers Landsforbund/Reindeer herders organisation Norway – Leif Anders Somby VIDEO

Status and consequences of loss – development within the Nordic countries

“Tap av reinsdyr i de Nordiske landene – status og konsekvenser for næringen” – Svein Morten Eilertsen (NIBIO) VIDEO

Stocks, management and monitoring of stocks

“Large carnivores in reindeer herding districts” – Ilpo Kojola (Luke) VIDEO

Part 2 Governance
Keynote: “Measures to reduce loss”

• Ministry of Environment, NO – Torbjørn Lange VIDEO

• Sami Parliament, SE – Ander-Erling Fjällås VIDEO

Compensation for loss – comparative perspective

”Economic-Ecological System Analysis of the Costs of Predation and Difficult Winter Conditions on Reindeer Husbandry” – Antti-Juhani Pekkarinen (Luke) VIDEO

Documentation of loss, use of traditional knowledge – Karen Anette Anti (NRL) VIDEO

Part 3 Ongoing research projects

“Beitenæringer og rovvilt i nord” – Snorre Hagen (NIBIO) VIDEO

“Future of reindeer husbandry – workshops in Finland; joint work of projects CHARTER, CLIMINI and POVAUS” – Sirpa Rasmus (University of Lapland) VIDEO

Part 4 Reindeer husbandry in a changing climate
Keynote: “Challenges climate change adaptation”

• Svenska samernas riksförbund/Reindeer Herders organisation Sweden – Matti Blind Berg VIDEO

• Paliskuntain yhdistys/Reindeer Herders’ Association Finland – Sanna Hast VIDEO

• Norske Reindriftsamers Landsforbund/Reindeer Herders organisation Norway – Leif Anders Somby VIDEO

Consequences of climate change

“Interconnections of climate change, reindeer husbandry and other land use” – Anna Skarin (SLU) VIDEO

“The Times They Are A-Changin’ – research trends and perspectives of reindeer pastoralism – a text mining approach” – Øystein Holand (Norges miljø-og biovitenskaplige universitet) VIDEO

“Climate change impacts on reindeer pastures” – Jutta Kapfer (NIBIO) NOT AVAILABLE

“Climate change increase the risk of facing difficult winters in reindeer herding” – Jouko Kumpula (Luke) VIDEO

“Coping strategies of herders, knowledge gaps and long-term planning needs” – Sirpa Rasmus (University of Lapland) VIDEO

“Presentation of knowledge gaps identified in the report: NIBIO Brage: Kartlegging av forskning på reindriftsområdet – kunnskapsgrunnlag og forskningsbehov”- Inger Hansen (NIBIO) VIDEO

FULL CONFERENCE

See more of the arrangement:

Nordic Agri Research (NKJ) invites researchers reindeer herders, stakeholders and government officials and representatives from the sector engaged in reindeer husbandry to The Nordic Conference on Reindeer Husbandry 9-10 November 2022.  The conference will be held at NIBIO Svanhovd, Pasvik, Norway.

The topic of the 2022 conference is challenges to reindeer husbandry, in particular the impact of predators, as well as consequences of a changing climate in Sweden, Finland and Norway. The first day of the conference will focus on current status, policy and governance on predators, and the second day will be focused on issues connected to climate change.

Among the speakers:
• Jutta Kapfer, NIBIO
• Øystein Holand, NIBIO
• Anna Skarin, SLU
• Snorre Hagen, NIBIO
• Antti-Juhani Pekkarinen, Luke
• Leif Anders, NRL
• Matti Blind Berg, chair, SSR
• Ander-Erling Fjällås, vice chair, SSR
• Ilpo Kojola, Luke
• Jouko Kumpula, researcher at LUKE
• Svein Morten Eilertsen, researcher at NIBIO
• Sirpa Rasmus, University of Lapland
• Inger Hansen, NIBIO

Find the agenda here!

Registration
Last day to register is 19/10.  Registration can be done here.

Fee
Participating in the conference is free, including meals and accommodation. Travelling tickets are not included. Signing up and not showing up will be charged with a fee of 500 SEK. The registration can be cancelled without any charge until 26/10.

Transportation
Remember to book your traveling tickets. Suggested flights Oslo-Kirkenes-Oslo:

Tuesday 8 November:
Norwegian 328: Oslo 17.10–Tromsø 19.05
Widerøe 918: Tromsø 19.35–Kirkenes 20.50

Thursday 10 November:
Widerøe 975: Kirkenes 14.40–Alta 15.30
Widerøe 925: Alta 15.50–Tromsø 16.30
SAS 4425: Tromsø 17.05–Oslo or Norwegian 383: From Tromsø 17.20

A connecting bus from Kirkenes airport to Svanhovd will be provided.

Clothing
The conference will take place indoors. However, just a kind reminder to bring clothes adapted to the weather conditions.

Preliminary agenda:

9 November 9-17
Part 1: Loss of reindeer to predators
Part 2: Governance and management to prevent loss of reindeer
Part 3: Presentation of ongoing research projects

10 November 9-12
Part 4: Reindeer husbandry in a changing climate

About NIBIO, Svanhovd
The venue of the conference will be NIBIO Svanhovd. The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) has several research stations throughout the country. NIBIO Svanhovd is situated in the east of Troms and Finnmark county, close to the Pasvik river, in the middle of the wedge of Norwegian land separating Russia and Finland in the north. NIBIO Svanhovd also runs a national park centre, a botanical garden and a conference centre.

More about NIBIO Svanhovd: Svanhovd – Nibio
Map of Svanhovd: Google Maps

Bridge builders presented their activities at the ICCAS 2022 in order to discuss how a multidisciplinary approach can contribute with new knowledge to promote sustainable healthy aging in relation to food, nutrition, health and well-being services.

Researchers and practitioners were also invited to join the network, and to attend the webinar 14^th of June.

Both the presentation and the invitation rose interest and opened opportunities to get to know new colleagues and to strengthen our co-work in ongoing and future research areas related to healthy eating and aging from a holistic perspective.

The 12th International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences (ICCAS 2022) was held in Lyon, France, on June 1st-3rd. Lyon, which is the capital of French gastronomy, besides serving great food also provided a wide variety of interesting topics and findings to support health and well-being and enhance the development of the food science, food industry and food services. ICCAS has initially been found as a forum for culinary artists, food scientists and food industry to have an international conference where all sides can get to know each other’s’ work, share ideas and built networks. This concept has shown to be beneficial and successful.

The theme of this conference was sustainable meal systems worldwide: Challenges for culinary arts and sciences. Topics included sustainability, meal systems, food culture, foodservice and hospitality, food systems and politics, the resilience of the food and food service sector in a crisis context, food marketing, food habits and consumer behavior, food science and safety and nutrition and wellbeing. All this was packed in seven sessions of oral presentations and 28 posters filled with interesting settings, methods and findings. Since the “menu” was so versatile and full of choices, everyone was able to find special scientific treats to please one’s needs.

The conference was hosted by the Institute Paul Bocuse, which is a leading higher education school in culinary arts, food service and hospitality. The program included a visit to the Institute’s culinary school, research center and living labs where a culinary demo and tasting as well as a reception were held.

More information
sari.ranta(at)xamk.fi

Publication
Michaud, M., Giboreau, A. and Perez-Cueto, A. (eds.) 2022. Twelfth International Conference on Culinary Arts and Sciences. ISBN 2275-5748 – Lyon, June 2022

The network Bridge builders – Building sustainable nutritional bridges between research and health and wellbeing services for elderly consists of expertise in food and nutrition research (healthy food, alternative proteins, mealtime interventions, aging) as well as in service applications and good practices (dietary habits and environments, training of social and health professionals). Participants represent Denmark (University College Copenhagen), Finland (South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences), Norway (University of Stavanger) and Sweden (Linnaeus University).

First on the agenda was an update on the current situation of fruit quality after storage and storage losses, presented by the representatives from the industry from all four participating countries. This update was followed by presentations of the ongoing research on storage conditions, storage disorders and storage diseases.

The presentations were accompanied by fruitful discussions and exchange of knowledge, regarding current problems as well as research needs, with emphasis on fruit quality loss, storage rots and physiological decay. Special attention was given to the diversity of the disease- and disorder symptoms, pathogens and their epidemiology and to the diversity of the defence reactions among cultivars. The participants stressed the importance of good pre-harvest practices for reducing post-harvest losses. Future collaborations, funding opportunities and the contents of the next workshop were also discussed. 

The meeting was hosted by SLU and took place online where 35 participants, representing research, growers, advisory services, packing houses and authorities exchanged their knowledge and experiences.

The network unites participants from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and addresses the issue of post-harvest losses. The focus is on how to achieve improved plant health via better knowledge of epidemiology, novel monitoring tools, knowledge of cultivar pre- and postharvest physiology, disease resistance, and cultivation practices.