Food Security and Sustainability Program Series

Supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, this virtual program series centered food security and sustainability. During these talks, innovators and advocates for sustainable food practices and conservation discuss solutions to contemporary issues in the areas of fine dining, food processing and packaging, and agriculture. Leaders from the Nordic region and the State of Washington participated in this series to increase awareness and inspire positive actions for a more secure and sustainable world.

May 21, 2021 – August 21, 2021

Panel One (May 21, 2021): “Fine Dining for All: How Chefs Fed Communities during COVID-19,” explored how fine dining pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving households that are food insecure or adopting new business models. The panelists included: Sasu Laukkonen, ORA Restaurant in Helsinki, Finland; Jeanette Koustrup Duus, Head, JunkFood, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Chef Zach Pacleb, Brothers & Co., Seattle. The conversation was moderated by Seattle Times food writer, Jackie Varriano.

Panel Two (June 12, 2021): “Tastemakers: Effecting Change in Food Processing and Packaging” investigated how companies in the Nordic countries and the United States demonstrate their commitment to sustainable strategies to minimize waste. The panelists were Kaisa Jaakkola, Senior Manager of Finnair’s Kitchen Oy; Stephanie Lentz, Founder and CEO of Scoop Marketplace in Seattle; and Hjalti Thorarinsson, Vice President of Software at Marel, a leading global provider of advanced food processing equipment in Iceland. The conversation was moderated by Christopher Burk, an Advisor for Sustainable Growth and Commerce at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C.

Panel Three (July 17, 2021): “Saving Bees and the Global Food Supply,” moved beyond discussions of food consumption to address the first step in the cultivation of plant-based foods. The panelists were professional apiculturist Melanie Kirby and Advisor in NordGen’s Farm Animals Division, Maria Kjetså. Kjetså is a co-organizer of the Nordic Brown Bee Network, a network of researchers and bee-keepers in the Nordic region. The conversation was moderated by Bob Redmond, Owner of The Urban Bee Company and Founder of The Common Acre in Washington State. This program was turned into an episode of the Nordic Talks podcast.

Panel Four (August 21, 2021): “Finding a Solution to Food Waste,” discussed the pervasive problem and indelible impact of food waste on the global economy, the environment, and our society. Panelists included: the Head Chef and Co-Founder of a zero-waste restaurant (Restaurant Nolla in Helsinki), the Head of Partnerships of a mobile application that connects consumers to unsold food (Too Good to Go), and a Seattle-based writer on food and sustainability. Moderated by Suvi Järvelä-Hagström, Cultural Counselor and Head of Cultural Affairs, Embassy of Finland to the United States. Panelists from different industries offered the audience creative solutions to combat food waste.