Nordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
LIVE from 9 a.m. (CET), 26 April 2023:
More than a third of the food produced globally is currently lost or wasted. In the Nordic countries, approximately 3,6 million tonnes of food are wasted each year. Food loss and waste are vast sustainability issues with a significant impact on our climate and environment. Further measures are urgently needed to reach the sustainable development goal of cutting food loss and waste in half by 2030.
On 26 April, more than 180 participants from the Nordic countries will meet in Stockholm to delve into this pressing challenge.
Ministers from Sweden and Denmark will join the summit
Peter Kullgren, Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs, and Jacob Jensen, Denmark’s Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries will both take part in the opening sessions of the summit.
They will be joined by high-level speakers and experts from across the Nordics including: Selina Juul, founder and Chair of the Board of the Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad); Petter Haas Brubakk, Director-General of FoodDrinkNorway (NHO Mat og Drikke); Annica Sohlström, Secretary General of the Swedish Food Agency and Matt Homewood, food waste campaigner at Throw No More. Please see full list of speakers below.
Royal participation in the summit
Two Nordic princesses, HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and HRH Princess Marie of Denmark, will participate in the summit in Stockholm. Princess Marie of Denmark will open the conference, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will participate in the afternoon session of the conference.
The summit comes at an important time
At a time where we’re aiming to establish sustainable food systems for the health of our environment, climate, and people, the expectations for the summit are high. Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, hopes to bring about closer Nordic co-operation.
“If the global amount of food waste could be represented as its own country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. This summit could therefore not have come at a more important time,” says Ellemann.
“We’re making good on our prime ministers’ vision by bringing together stakeholders in the sector to share experiences, best practices, and challenges for joint and increased action continuing from the Nordic Food Waste Summit,” she continues.
The summit on 26 April will draw attention to topics including measuring food loss and waste, regulations, policies and donations, as well as consumer behaviour and innovations.
Meet the speakers
The Nordic Food Waste Summit invites some of the most inspiring and prominent speakers on the subject to share their knowledge, learnings and initiatives.
- Peter Kullgren, Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs
- Jacob Jensen, Denmark’s Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
- Selina Juul, founder and Chair of the Board of the Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad)
- Petter Haas Brubakk, Director-General of FoodDrinkNorway (NHO Mat og Drikke)
- Annica Sohlström, Secretary General of the Swedish Food Agency
- Angela Frigo, Secretary General of FEBA – The European Food Banks Federation
- Mats Liedholm, CEO, Fazer Sverige
- Peter Rønn-Petersen, Director, Meyers Madhus DK
- Kristoffer Hagstedt, CEO of Whywaste
- Matt Homewood, food waste campaigner at Throw No More
- Anne-Grete Haugen, Managing Director of Matvett
- Anja Bakken Riise, Executive Director of Framtiden i våre hender
- Staffan Eklöf, Vice Chair, Nordic Council's Committee for a Sustainable Nordic Region
- Karin Fritz, project manager at the Swedish Food Agency
- Jens Dolk, founder of K-märkt
- Karin Lindow, policy analyst at the Swedish Board of Agriculture
- Anne Marie Schrøder, Head of Communication at Matvett
- Per Christian Rålm, Managing Director Matcentralen
- Jens Jonsson, National Food Bank Coordinator, Swedish Association of City Missions
- Filip Lundin, founder of Sopköket
- Markus Wahlgren, Manager of Stora Coop Gotland
- More speakers to come…
The moderator for the day is Åsa Sandberg, food waste expert and moderator.
Join in online or in person in Stockholm
Interest in joining the summit in Stockholm has been huge and it is already fully booked. Nevertheless, everyone is welcome to join in online for some inspiring discussions on how we can accelerate action to reduce food loss and waste.
Information for the press
Press and press photographers must register by 15:00 (CET) on 25 April at the latest. A valid press card is required.
Contact: Elisabet Skylare, elisky@norden.org
The meeting is hosted by the Swedish Food Agency and the Nordic Council of Ministers, in collaboration with the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
The news item is updated on 23 April with information about royal participation.
