Get familiar with the Nordic best practices for sustainable food

The theme for the 2021 Nordic Council Environment Prize – and this event – is sustainable food systems. The eight nominees all represent Nordic solutions to the challenge of creating sustainable food systems. They work with a wide range of areas, including a database of the carbon footprint of common food products, regenerative agriculture that sequesters CO2 in the soil, and a greenhouse in Greenland that supplies local restaurants and citizens with fresh food – to mention just a few.

Together with the nominees, moderator Helle Solvang will steer us through a discussion on how our food systems can become more sustainable, from sea and soil to table, and back again. Helle Solvang is founder of the media, action and learning platform, Jordens Skole. She has many years’ experience of producing knowledge, ideas, and skills that support green transitions.

In addition to the nominees, we will hear from Stian Haanes, one of the founders and directors of Too Good to Go, the initiative that won the 2016 Nordic Council Environment Prize. He will share his personal experience of his journey from winning the prize up until today.

Den store klimadatabase - Denmark

Carbon Action - Finland

Matkovin - Faroe Islands

Greenlandic Greenhouse - Greenland

Thor Ice Chilling Solutions - Iceland

Framtiden i våre hender - Norway

Svensk Kolinlagring - Sweden

Mattas Gårdsmejeri - Åland

About this year’s theme: Sustainable food systems

For food production to be considered sustainable, the food must be produced locally where possible, using environmentally sustainable methods. In agriculture, the emphasis is on recirculated plant nutrition and environmentally friendly farming practices that take into account greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration, biodiversity and good management of water resources. Those engaged in animal husbandry and fish farming accept an environmental responsibility and maintain high standards of animal welfare. Natural resources used for food, such as game, wild fish and other natural products, are exploited wisely.

When ingredients are processed into food products, as much as possible of their nutritional content is preserved. There is no waste of resources in the food industry, products are packaged in an energy-efficient way and the environmental impact of distribution is minimised. Companies and retailers offer customers sustainable alternatives, and minimise food waste through their own initiatives. The food that consumers buy is based on environmentally sustainable alternatives, such as vegetarian food adapted to the seasons. We eat as many calories as we need, no food goes to waste and organic waste is recycled.

About the Nordic Council Environment Prize

This year is the 27th time the Nordic Council Environment Prize will be awarded, and in 2021 it will honour Nordic initiatives that have made a special effort to secure a sustainable food system. Anyone can nominate candidates for the prize, and the winner will be awarded DKK 300,000.

The prize was first awarded in 1995, and aims to raise awareness of environmental work in the Nordic countries. Anyone can nominate candidates. The Environment Prize is awarded to a Nordic individual, organisation or company that has managed to integrate respect for the environment into its business or activities in an exemplary manner, or has made an exceptional contribution to the environment in some other way.