New Nordic Food was the main topic when Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs, Eskil Erlandsson, in conjunction with the festival NORDIC COOL 2013 in Washington, spoke on the subject A Prosperous Future For All – Gender, Climate Change and Biodiversity in a Globalized World.
"Both men and women should work in agriculture and forestry", stressed Eskil Erlandsson. Photo: Bodil Tingsby
The seminar had a long list of speakers, but the two who most closely linked the problem to gender equality were Eskil Erlandsson from Sweden, which holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and Robert Engelman, President of the Washington-based research organisation Worldwatch Institute.
The Minister of Rural Affairs, who doubles as Chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MR-FJLS), could not emphasise more strongly the importance of New Nordic Food's influence on the growth of food quality itself but also on the development of the rural economy.
New Nordic Food's manifesto has influenced the perception of food quality and has increased consumers' demand for locally produced and healthy food, he said, and underlined that this in turn improves both women's and men's opportunities for living and working in agriculture and forestry. Not just in the Nordic Region. The values that define New Nordic Food are spreading across the world.
According to Robert Engelman from the Worldwatch Institute, the Nordic countries were the first to understand placing value on women's participation in leadership.
"The Nordic countries are leaders in gender equality", he stated, adding that this awareness is spreading, especially in areas where it can be linked to climate issues.
Research shows that boys and girls across the world react differently to reports of climate change. Boys recognise how serious it is and expect that someone will do something about it. Girls immediately wonder what they can do.
"Therefore, we have to work to strengthen women's power over developments in the future", concluded Robert Engelman.
Bodil Tingsby
Phone
+45 33 96 03 57
Email
bot@norden.org