Category: News

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Funding opportunity for agricultural and food researchers

OPEN CALL: NKJ now welcomes applications from researcher networks in all aspects of food and agriculture. We want to facilitate collaboration between researchers in the Nordic countries, increase synergies and bridge gaps between research and practice.

Deadline for application: 31 januari 2024

 

This call is open to applicants from all fields of research within food and agriculture. NKJ wants to facilitate collaboration between researchers in the Nordic countries and link national research projects where considerable positive outcomes can be reached through a wider regional scope. Nordic collaboration increase synergies in agriculture and food sector research.

NKJ supports the creation of Nordic networks of researchers that can make it easier to apply for funding and participate in European collaborations e.g. Horizon Europe.

To have the chance to be granted, the network should include applicants from at least three Nordic countries. Each gender must be represented by a minimum of 40% of the participants in the network, and NKJ welcomes applicants and participants of other genders. Young researchers should be included in the network.

Network outputs should be useful for the Nordic community and should include knowledge exchange across national borders.

You can apply for maximum 300.000 SEK, and you will need co-financing of at least 50% of the total budget.

 

The focus areas in the NKJ strategy can give you some inspiration:

  • Increase sustainability and resilience in agriculture and food production in a growing bioeconomy
  • Strengthen the Nordic region’s position in agricultural and food research within Europe
  • Use land resources as a basis for value creation and regional development as well as improved supply capacity, reduced environmental and climate impact and better adaptation to the climate
  • Strengthen the knowledge base for sustainable reindeer husbandry
  • Strengthen and develop the New Nordic Food project to promote Nordic food culture and strengthen the food system
  • Strengthen equality within the bioeconomy with a particular focus on gender and the position of children and youth

 

BUT this call is open for applicants from all fields of research within food and agriculture!

 

Call text

Application form

NKJ strategy

Gender equality guidelines

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Networking for reduced post-harvest losses in apples

Only a minor share of the consumed apples in Nordic countries are domestically produced.  Therefore, minimal post-harvest losses are critical to better satisfy consumers’ demand for locally produced fruit and to improve growers’ economy.
Text: Larisa Gustavsson

 

Researchers, stakeholders and decision makers has gathered during the last two years, to exchange and assemble knowledge and pave the way for efficient collaboration on storage losses.

The common strategic goal has been to minimize post-harvest losses due to storage decay.  To achieve that, the network Nordic Apple Network brought together researchers and stakeholders in two informative meetings and moved forward in our understanding of important pre- and post-harvest factors leading to development of storage rots.

This has also had an immediate impact, since some ideas for new research projects were developed. For example:

• Which are the main causes for postharvest losses?
• Physiological disorders – conditions on which these are occurring
• Fungal diseases – how to identify them?

A platform for a long-term collaboration involving researchers and the apple industries in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland has been built.

Photo: Private
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African swine fever in the Nordic region – what happens now?

The first case of African swine fever in the Nordic region has occurred in Swedish Fagersta. How does this affect the Nordic managing of the wild boars?

The NKJ report “Vildsvin i de nordiska länderna” from 2022 aims to map and manage the Nordic needs and prerequisites for controlling the wild boar population in the region. But with African swine fever active in the region, the perspective may change.

Petter Kjellander was the author of the report, and he is a professor at the ecology department at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden. Here he gives a new perspective of Nordic wild boar policy.

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Recommendations to strengthen the Nordic bioeconomy

Expanded Nordic cooperation is the key to creating a more resilient bioeconomy, especially in the wake of polycrises. NKJ and SNS can now present a policy brief with recommendations to strengthen and develop the Nordic bioeconomy.

 

The basis for the recommendations are desktop studies of Nordic initiatives on crises management and resilience, and multiple dialogues with experts from the Nordic bioeconomy.

Addressing the challenges of one crisis, let alone multiple crises affecting the region simultaneously, requires coordinated efforts. Many different perspectives must be taken into account and how the different countries’ bioeconomies work must be clear.

The potential for more joint Nordic efforts to strengthen the resilience of the bioeconomy looks promising. The countries have similar social structures and topographies, there are already companies operating throughout the region, similar political ambitions in, for example, climate measures and existing networks and initiatives create good conditions for Nordic cooperation. It has also been shown that there is a strong interest in jointly meeting the challenges associated with crisis preparedness and crisis management in the bioeconomy.

This policy report presents five policy recommendations. Nordic decision-makers and stakeholders can enable effective progress towards a more resilient Nordic bioeconomy by:

1 Developing a joint roadmap for a resilient Nordic bioeconomy

2 Strengthening the resilience in the Nordic -bioeconomy value chains by identifying and addressing critical dependencies

3 Enabling an efficient, accessible, and safe -sharing of high-quality bioeconomy data across the Nordic region

4 Supporting knowledge sharing between Nordic crises communication functions

5 Integrating the recommendations for a more -resilient Nordic bioeconomy in the development of the Nordic Cooperation Program for 2025-2030

 

Read more details about the recommendations, and download the policy brief here

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A common Nordic vision for sustainable food systems is possible

A webinar on the Nordic food systems was held June 14th. The aim of the webinar was to explore the commonalities, differences and peculiarities of the Nordic national food systems and try to understand if there is just one common Nordic approach to food sustainability or many.

 

The main outcome of the Nordic webinar was that all the Nordic countries are different in terms of food production, retail system, policies and consumers behaviour. Before talking about a Nordic sustainable food system, the different national aspects should be taken into consideration. Still, a Nordic vision might be possible, provided that policy makers promote more cooperation and a holistic approach to sustainable food systems.

Two main projects, from Iceland a project on blue economy and from Sweden a project on Sami food in elderly houses, were presented.

Most of the speakers at the webinar agreed on that a new Nordic model on sustainable food systems is possible, provided it is integrated with local approaches, as every country has its own peculiarities. The main conclusions from the discussions are:

  • Food self sufficiency is an important issue for the Nordic countries: Norway is only 40% self sufficient, Finland is self sufficient in terms of meat and diary production, but not for fruits and vegetables and oatley/rye.
  • Meat consumption is an important aspect of the Nordic diet. In Norway it has doubled in recent years, while fish consumption is slightly decreasing. The same could be said for Finland, where meat and dairy consumption are still very high, despite some local policies aiming to decrease at least meat consumption.
  • In Finland dietary recommendations are not met by the Finnish population. Finns are interested in trying new foods but long term adoption of new food does not always follow.
  • Faroe Islands have small scale farming and fishing, and are importing the majority of food they consume. Depsite all this, food and farming traditions are strong and passed on from generation to generation.
  • In Sweden a specific project “Healthy ageing for Indigenous communities in India and Sweden with focus on nutricous and culturally adequate food provision” funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (2022-2025) is helping Sami elderly people to eat their traditional food in elderly houses.
  • In Iceland a project run by University of Iceland on barriers and challenges to circular blue economy, found out that there is a strong need for holistic mapping of the waste streamsand a strong competition for natural resources. More collaborations and an enhanced institutional capacity would benefit the sector.
  • Denmark is promoting food innovations through the Food Bio cluster Denmark which supports companies i promoting and accelerating food innovations.

The webinar was arranged by the NKJ co-funded researcher network “The role of Nordic research in transition to sustainable agro-marine food systems”. The network aims to start an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder dialogue among the eight partner universities and other relevant institutions on the role of Nordic research in transition to sustainable agro-marine food systems.

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Board decision: new call for networking activities in the autumn

Researchers in agriculture and food can expect opportunities for funding in the near future. NKJ plans to open a call for network activities before the end of the year.
 
 
At NKJ’s board meeting at the end of May this year, it was decided to open a call for networking activities for Nordic agricultural and food researchers during autumn. The date and focus area will be decided on later. Follow NKJ on our social channels (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter) or subscribe to our newsletter to be sure not to miss out on anything.
 
The board has gotten a new member, Jessica Ekström, Sweden, who was presented at the meeting. She works at FORMAS, the Swedish research institute, as a research secretary. The forms for a student representative on the board was also discussed. It was decided that the relevant student organization in the chairing country nominates the student representative. The ambition is even gender distribution over time.
 
The secretariat presented Sofie Andersson, newly employed, and substitute for Elsa Ramberg while she is on parental leave. Sofie has a backgroud in cultural geography and environmental science, and she has previous experience from Nordic Innovation.
 
Two new networks had their applications for funding granted at the board meeting; CoverCropsNord and TerraNordica. Read more about them here!
 
If you are interested in the NKJ year 2022, find the annual report here!
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Two new NKJ funded networks in agroecology and soil health

Two new networks are granted funding after the latest NKJ call in soil health and agroecology connected to living labs and calls in Horizon Europe.

 

The deadline for application was April 1st. The NKJ board decided, at its latest meeting in May, to fund two new networks: CoverCropsNordic and TerraNordica.

The focus areas of the call was soil health and agroecology connected to living labs and calls in Horizon Europe. The aim of the call was to promote Nordic collaboration between researchers from agricultural and food sectors by networking activities. Transdisciplinary networks between researchers and stakeholders was especially encouraged.

CoverCropsNordic will work to improve the understanding of the effects of cover crops on greenhouse gas balances, particularly under humid and temperate conditions of Northern Europe. The participants see a great interest among farmers for adopting cover crops in the crop rotation, but also an urgent need to exchange experiences about how to avoid the risk of draw-backs by using appropriate species and management. The network will focus on soil health and agroecology by using cover cropping.

NKJ is looking forward to the outcomes of this much needed initiative!

TerraNordica aims to provide guidelines on how agroecological management systems can be analysed on their effects on soil health by identifying a set of robust indicators. The network will contribute to structure and support a network of living labs and research infrastructures that will accelerate the transition towards agroecology throughout Europe.

“The significance of the work proposed in TerraNordica lies in improved understanding of the interaction between agroecological management systems and soil health” wrote the applicants in their application.

NKJ will follow the work with great interest!

NKJ will report on the activities in these new researcher networks in our newsletter and in our social medias:

 
Find all NKJ funded researcher networks here!
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New nutritional recommendations for both health and the environment

The new nutrion recommendations are not only guidelines for better health for humans, but also link health with the health of the planet.

 

In order for our food to be useful and sustainable for the future on Earth, we must eat less meat, and more fish and vegetables. That is the conclusion formulated in the new Nordic nutritional recommendations 2023 which are just launched. The recommendations are based on the best available science on food consumption, health, and the environment and shows that human health and sustainability goes hand in hand.

The nutrition recommendations are the result of four years of hard work by a project group within the Nordic Council of Ministers and lots of researchers and others engaged. The report provides a shared evidence-based foundation which assists the countries in developing dietary guidelines, but also receives international attention.

The new recommendations have changed on a number of points compared to the previous edition.

See what changes have been made to the nutritional recommendations

Find the Nordic nutritional recommendations 2023 here

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LUKE presents their digital testbeds to Nordic testbed Network

Nordic Testbed Network will arrange an afternoon event for the network participants June 8th. The hosts at LUKE will present their relevant work.

 

The event will take place in LUKE, Helsinki, Finland, where the participants will be presented to work going on with smart farming, digital twins in agriculture, digital monitoring and assessment in animal welfare and more. Presenters will be Matti Pastell, Antti Suokannas, Kim Kaustell, Jere Kaivosoja and other colleagues at Luke.

The Nordic Testbed Network has a broad network, so there will also be presentations of projects like RAS, Digital Forests, Vertical Farming and DIMA. Of course there will be time for informal meetings, conversations and contacts. There will be dinner served for those participating physically, but some will be joining by Zoom.

– We want to provide the best arena for knowledge exchange between Nordic actors in digital innovation, to facilitate development that contributes to a sustainable society, says the organizer Tatiana Proisy, Analysys Mason.

 

The Nordic Testbed Network: Digitalisation plays a vital role in the rapid development of the Nordic and Baltic bioeconomy. Access to cutting edge platforms for development, so-called testbeds, where new digital knowledge and technology can be developed is fundamental. To meet this need, and to support the digital transformation of the Nordic and Baltic bioeconomy, the Nordic Testbed Network was initiated.

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Discuss sustainable food systems in different Nordic contexts

What do sustainable agro-marine food systems mean in different Nordic contexts? This is the focus for an upcoming webinar (June 14th) arranged by an NKJ co-funded network.

 

Formally, the Nordic region consists of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and the self-governed Danish areas of Greenland, the Faeroe Islands and the Finnish self-governed isles of Åland. Altogether it is an area of 3,5 million km² with a total of 25 million inhabitants. If on one hand, the Nordic countries share many characteristics and give place to a common food culture, on the other there are also enormous differences among them.

Aim of this webinar is to explore the commonalities, differences and peculiarities of the Nordic national food systems and try to understand if there is just one common Nordic approach to food sustainability or many.

You are warmly welcome to join our webinar and join the discussion about the Nordic food systems!

The time for the webinar is 14th of June 2023, 12:00 – 14:00 CET (UTC +2).

Please register by June 12th!


Agenda for the webinar (CET time)

12:00 Welcoming words Silvia Gaiani, Senior Researcher at Helsinki University Ruralia Institute and Coordinator of the NKJ funded Nordic Research Network

12:05 Introduction by the moderator Maja Kruuse, ICE Innovation Festival in Kirkenes, Norway

12:15 The Norwegian food system with a special view to food consumption and sustainability Gunnar Vittersø, Senior Researcher, SIFO – National Institute for Consumer Research, OSLOMET, Norway

12:30 The Finnish food system: A selection of specificities and issues Xavier Irz, Professor, Department of Economics and Management – Agricultural Economics – University of Helsinki, Finland 

12:45 Sustainable food provision from an indigenous perspective – Sami perspectives from Sweden Ildiko Aztalos Morell, Associate Professor in Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

13:00 Local knowledge and skill sharing – a key pillar of sustainability and resilience to the Faroese food system Sunniva Gudmundsdóttir Mortensen, anthropologist, food activist and social entrepreneur, Faroe Islands

13:15 Barriers to a circular blue bioeconomy in Iceland Nína M. Saviolidis, Post-doc researcher, University of Iceland, Iceland

13:30 Importance of innovation and collaboration in the food system in Denmark Lars Visbech Sørensen, CEO, Food Bio cluster Denmark, Denmark

13:45-14:00 Q&A

 

Contact:
Silvia Gaiani

Iida Alasentie