Finnish focus on Nordic food

23.02.16 | News
Höstdag hos Nordiska rådet och Nordiska ministerrådet
Photographer
Johannes Jansson/norden.org
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Nordic food is one of the top priorities for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry during the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2016. The multifaceted programme for the Presidency includes locally produced food, meals in the public sector, promoting Nordic food culture and tourism by encouraging networking and learning from each other’s practices.

The biggest food event during the Presidency – the Finnish Food Championship in October – will also be open to Nordic competitors.

Food championship

“The biggest food event during the Presidency – the Finnish Food Championship in October – will also be open to Nordic competitors. We will be hosting a Nordic seminar on meals in the public sector during the Gastro HoReCa Sector Trade Fair in March, and another on food culture and food education at Delicacies of Finland in August,” says Seija Ahonen-Siivola on behalf of the ministry. 

This is a prime example of an area in which the different countries have different experiences, and there is great potential for learning from each other and finding new solutions to the challenges we all face. From an environmental perspective, is it feasible to produce millions of tasty, healthy and sustainable meals in big public-sector kitchens? What would make food professionals and consumers more interested in Nordic raw ingredients and food traditions? How can we work together to foster a food culture and identity among children and young people? What can we do about food waste?

“In Norway, for example, considerable effort has been put into the food that the public sector provides for the older segment of the population. In Finland, we have put our efforts into the quality criteria for food procurement and improving school meals. On its part, the Danish public sector has been a pioneer in ecological food,” she stresses.

We have an excellent opportunity now for closer collaboration at Nordic level. We hope that Nordic networks will emerge from this work and continue to exchange thoughts, ideas and experiences.

Networking and exchanging ideas as criteria for success

All of the activities arranged as part of the Finnish Presidency in 2016 are closely linked to the Nordic Council of Ministers’ programme New Nordic Food, which is now in its third iteration. The programme aims to draw attention to the Nordic dimension, moving debates from purely local, regional and national levels to also include discussions about Nordic food. Involving the younger generations is a particularly high priority.

“We have an excellent opportunity now for closer collaboration at Nordic level. We hope that Nordic networks will emerge from this work and continue to exchange thoughts, ideas and experiences. This has been one of the success criteria for the New Nordic Food programme, and is also a key issue for us during the Finnish Presidency,” Ahonen-Siivola concludes. 

  • Food industry event during the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2016.
  • The main themes for the Finnish Presidency are water, nature and people. Under the nature theme, the programme includes recycling, locally produced food and tourism

 

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