NKJ has an open call for networks in agriculture and food. We want as many nordic researchers as possible to exchange knowledge, therefore we arrange a matchmaking event for you to find new colleagues, to elaborate your scientific project further and to get inspired.
When:December 10 2024, 13.30–16.00 CET Where: Online via Zoom, link will be sent out in advance of the meeting Registration:Register by filling out the form
Welcome to join our online matchmaking event, to find out more about how to apply for funds from Nordic Agri Research (NKJ), hear from an ongoing network how they use their collaboration platform, and connect with other researchers who are looking for collaboration opportunities!
You will be inspired by a coordinator of an ongoing research network who will talk about what type of activities they have organised, what they have achieved so far and how they have benefitted from collaborating in the Nordic region. NKJ will also inform you about the current open callthat can fund your future networking activities.
AGENDA 13.30 Welcome and presentations 13.50 How to apply for funds from NKJ – tips and tricks 14.10 Inspiration talk from an ongoing Nordic research network, Ievina Sturite (NIBIO), CoverCropsNordic 14.30 Networking workshop with Malin von Essen 16.00 Finish
CONTACT
If you have any questions, send an email to
NKJ now welcomes applications from researcher networks in all aspects of food and agriculture, as part of their 60-year anniversary in 2025. By this call, NKJ wants to promote Nordic and transdisciplinary collaboration.
Deadline for application: 31 januari 2025 Apply by filling in the application form below and sending it to
The aim of the call is to promote Nordic collaboration between researchers from agricultural and food sectors by networking activities including workshops, conferences and seminars. Transdisciplinary networks between researchers and stakeholders are encouraged. This open call welcomes applicants from all fields of research within food and agriculture.
NKJ will host an onlinematchmaking event on December 10 2024 (information and registration here), where you will be able to connect with other researchers who are looking for collaboration opportunities. This event will also include information on the open call and an opportunity to ask questions.
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 through e.g. arranging workshops, seminars/webinars, scientific meetings or open conferences. The funding can be used to bring additional value to ongoing research projects through mentioned activities.
Successful applicants may receive funds from NKJ of up to 300.000 SEK for two years of network activities from April 2025 to March 2027, covering at most 50% of the total budget for the network. The total budget for the call is 2.000.000 SEK.
This call is open for applicants from all fields of research within food and agriculture!
The conference “Challenging Intersections: Securing Sustainable Food Systems in Turbulent Times” will take place in Helsinki, Finland, 26-27.8.2025. Please save the dates, registration opens February 1, 2025!
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.
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!
The forestry and agricultural sectors are two of the Nordic region’s most gender-segregated sectors. At the same time, they constitute a significant part of the economies.
The ongoing digital transformation in these sectors risks strengthening the existing power structure since both professionals active in digital technologies and university educations are also male dominated.
We have to change that! We have to change it so that all people have the right and opportunity to do what they want, but also because the sectors need more labour and it is stupid to leave half the populations out of question.
Therefore we hereby announce our free webinars aimed at empowering university teachers and researchers to promote gender equality within the bioeconomy sector. Join us for a 30-minute session where you will discover:
The Bioequality project: mission and goals
Introduction to the Method manual: be an agent of change in gender inequality during your lectures
Interactive Q&A session and discussion: share your thoughts and find out everything you need to start a positive change
Choose one of these dates:
• November 21: 12.30-13.00 CET
• November 22: 12.30-13.00 CET
• December 2: 15.00-15.30 CET
BACKGROUND
THE METHOD MANUAL The ambition with the manual was to create an accessible guide for teachers and students to incorporate a layer of gender issues into digitalisation topics within academic degrees in forestry and agricultural management.
This was pursued as an effort to tackle the extensive inequality within the sectors. The rising digitalisation of the sector, with increasing demand for typically male-dominated competences related to information technology and data analysis accentuates the problem with gender inequality, in itself being remarkably inequal.
The webinars are commissioned as a follow-up project to maximise the value generated in the previous project, with the primary goal being to maximise the reach of the method manual.
The target audience includes researchers on faculties for forestry and agriculture or applied information technology within academic institutions.
The method manual was produced as part of the Bioequality project led by SNS and NKJ during 2020 and 2021.
An NKJ co-funded network has gathered experts to promote sustainable food systems both at local, national, and global levels. The result is twelve targeted intervention areas, described in a detailed white paper.
The network met in person three times during the two year partnership. The picture is from the final meeting and launch of the White Paper on Nordic Food Systems in Copenhagen in June 2024. From the left: Bjørnar Komissar, Sabina Kuraj, Guðrún Ólafsdóttir, Gunnar Vittersø, Nína María Saviolidis, Iida Alasentie, Silvia Gaiani, E lisabeth S karðhamar Olsen, Robert VanOtterdijk, Michelle Williams and Anna Sofía Veyhe. Photo: University of Helsinki
Addressing the twelve intervention areas might contribute to achieving a green, socially sustainable, and competitive Nordic region. The white paper, containing the intervention areas, represents the vision of all those who contributed to it and builds on data and evidence collected in existing reports and projects.
The aim was neither to duplicate what has already been written on the Nordic sustainable food system nor to present a list of “easy recipes” to promote a Nordic vision. Rather, it aimed to reflect on several topics and intervention actions that should be prioritised, as they are often neglected in the current literature.
Cooperation will be the way
In NKJ, we often say that the Nordic countries are stronger together. They share sustainability commitments and similar food system challenges. By realising their potential and exploring their options and opportunities for joint action, the Nordic countries are expected to engage in discussions with other countries worldwide and be a leading example.
No ranking
All intervention areas are equally urgent and should not be addressed in isolation, due to Silvia Gaiani, part of the network that wants to implement a holistic approach that underlines structural changes to reach a common Nordic vision.
– If one intervention area is prioritized, the risk is that some others might be delayed, she says.
For policy makers – and public
The paper is meant to be read by policy makers, but also the public. It raises awareness and allows actors to reflect on and make sense of their roles in promoting action on sustainable food system solutions.
– We hope it can create a space for communication and negotiation, encouraging synergies between actors from the various sectors which are searching for and implementing sustainable food systems approaches, says Silvia Gaiani.
She has a dream about the future, where the white paper can play a role:
– Above all I would like the Nordic countries to set examples and best practices and lead the way to the establishment of sustainable, future proof food systems.
The change is necessary
On the other hand, if nothing changes, she has worries for the future. She sees increased inequalities, fragmented food systems, power imbalances in the food supply chain, loss of biodiversity, increased health risks and non communicable diseases, and unethical consumerism.
New pathway to the future
NKJ is currently sponsoring a follow-up on the previous network, entitled ”A Nordic Baltic framework for Sustainable Food Systems”. Its aim is to create a theoretical framework which will lead to the development a database for Nordic and Baltic sustainable food systems. A consortium has been organized, with eight participating Nordic institutions, and will collaborate with experts and international organizations.
– We are truly committed to support a just and green transition of the Nordic food systems. We are on a mission to create the change we want to live in, says Silvia Gaiani.
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
Welcome to join our online matchmaking event, to find out more about how to apply for funds from Nordic Agri Research (NKJ), hear from an ongoing network how they use their collaboration platform, and connect with other researchers who are looking for collaboration opportunities!
