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Posted in: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden Posted on

Artist Alexandra Genis on 3D printing flavor molecules

Listen again. Artist and food designer Alexandra Genis is set on challenging your notion of artificiality and what sustainability means in the context of food production. Are natural and wild foods really better? We explore her work and how artificial foods, technology, and art can help us reimagine a better food system.

  • 1:50 The Atoma project, turning individual molecules into spices
  • 2:48 The complexity of flavor and the limits of what we can taste
  • 10:45 The importance of artificial foods in a post-agricultural age 
  • 22:00 Other projects Alexandra’s worked on 
  • 24:00 Vision for the future food system

Full episode transcript. Subscribe to the podcast newsletter here.

Posted in: Latvia Posted on

Dr. Mikelis Grivins on foraging and the blackmarket for wild foods

Listen again. Foraging exists in a delicate balanace with nature. If we take too much, it can lead to environmental degradation. At the same time, it survives as a cultural tradition and a key way families put food on the table. My guest today is Dr. Mikelis Grivins a researcher at the Baltic Studies Center. In this episode, we discuss the four kinds of foragers commonly seen in Europe, the ethics of foraging, and the black market that exists around wild foods.

  • 4:00 Overview of alternative food systems are important
  • 17:00 4 types of foragers across Europe
  • 20:20 Exploitation, transparency & regulation in the wild food market
  • 25:00 Wild washing
Posted in: Uncategorized Posted on

Dr. Mikelis Grivins on foraging and the black market for wild foods

Listen again. Foraging exists in a delicate balanace with nature. If we take too much, it can lead to environmental degradation. At the same time, it survives as a cultural tradition and a key way families put food on the table. My guest today is Dr. Mikelis Grivins a researcher at the Baltic Studies Center. In this episode, we discuss the four kinds of foragers commonly seen in Europe, the ethics of foraging, and the black market that exists around wild foods.

  • 4:00 Overview of alternative food systems are important
  • 17:00 4 types of foragers across Europe
  • 20:20 Exploitation, transparency & regulation in the wild food market
  • 25:00 Wild washing

Episode Transcript

Links

Artist Alexandra Genis on why all foods are artificial

Using blockchain to trace food from farm to fork 

The chef preserving Iceland’s food traditions

The Importance of Microbes in the Greenlandic Diet

Regenerative agriculture and our connection with nature

This episode was first released in February 2020 with the support of the Nordic Council of Minister’s Office in Latvia.

Like the show? Support more stories like this by contributing a few dollars a month. You can do so here.

Posted in: Sweden Posted on

ICA on shifting the Swedish food system

ICA is one of the biggest grocery retailers in Sweden. Every week, around 12 million people pass through their stores. Recognizing the important role they play in the everyday life of Swedes, ICA is intent on supporting the shift to a sustainable food system. A system that supports biodiversity, plant-based, and local foods. They launched ICA Växa, a new unit of the organization, to bring new products to market and connect with the startup community. Today, I speak with Jacqueline Engdahl, the Head of ICA Växa, to hear what exactly their up to. 

  • 6:00 ICA’s vision for the next 100 years
  • 8:50 Jacqueline’s story
  • 19:00 What ICA Växa does
  • 32:00 Different pathways of getting into ICA from pitching the category manager to the store owner or co-branding with ICA’s private label.
Posted in: Iceland Posted on

Chef Gunnar Karl Gíslason on Iceland's food traditions

Gunnar Karl Gíslason is the founding chef behind Dill, which was the first restaurant in Iceland to receive a Michelin star. He is also the author of North: The New Northern Cuisine of Iceland. In this episode, we trace Iceland’s food traditions through the individuals that are helping to keep them alive

  • 2:15 Rundown of Gunnar’s career and opening a res 
  • 7:30 Defining New Nordic food and the Icelandic kitchen 
  • 16:00 Finding inspiration in old traditions
  • 33:00 The evolution of the Icelandic kitchen 

We also reference this episode with Amass on creating a zero-waste kitchen. As well as Saltverk’s startup story. 

Show your love for the podcast. Support the show for $5 a month here: https://nordicfoodtechpodcast.substack.com/

Posted in: Uncategorized Posted on

A Special Message

As the year wraps up, here are a few reflections from 2021 as well as some announcements for what’s to come in 2022. If you would like to support the podcast, consider contributing $5 a month by going to https://nordicfoodtechpodcast.substack.com/

You can also subscribe to the podcast’s newsletter here. You’ll be notified about new episodes as soon as they are released. 

Lots of love, Analisa

Posted in: Norway Posted on

Delås Farm on regenerative agriculture and REKO rings

In 2017, Camilla and Raymund were trying to get the best food possible to feed their family. Realizing that food is tightly linked with health, they were looking for high-quality, nutrient-dense foods, but actually struggled to find it in Norwegian grocery stores. So, they decided to start growing their own food. This is the story of how they traded city life and taught themselves how to farm according to regenerative principles.

  • 5:00 How Camilly and Raymund started farming
  • 12:20 What regenerative agriculture is and how it works
  • 23:00 Norway’s farming capacity 
  • 27:00 How Reko Rings directly connect consumers and farmers
  • 52:00 Advice for farming and the cost of getting started

Become a contributor. Support the show for $5 a month: https://nordicfoodtechpodcast.substack.com/

Posted in: Norway Posted on

Yara's EVP of Farming Solutions Terje Knutsen on green fertilizer, carbon sequestration, and precision agriculture

Yara is the world’s leading producer of nitrate-based fertilizer.  Most fertilizers are produced using fossil fuels. Fertilizer runoff has also been linked to environmental degradation. At the same time, fertilizer plays a critical role in our food system’s productivity. Over half of the world’s population relies on mineral fertilizer to be fed. Yara’s mission is to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. In this episode, I sit down with Executive Vice President of Farming Solution Terje Knutsen to explore exactly how they are doing that. We cover green fertilizer, the hydrogen economy, soil carbon sequestration, and precision agriculture. 

  • 8:30 The role of fertilizer in crop production
  • 19:30 Green fertilizer and clean ammonia 
  • 26:30 Details of Yara’s investment arm, Yara Growth Ventures
  • 31:30 The Agoro Carbon Alliance and helping farmers to sequester carbon
  • 49:00 AtFarm and other digital solutions for precision agriculture

If you like this episode on corporate innovation, check out this series of podcasts. For more conversations, join our community on Instagram or check out other episodes on www.nordicfoodtech.io.

Posted in: Iceland Posted on

Saltverk’s CEO Björn Steinar Jónsson on Icelandic salt production from geothermal energy

The Danish king established salt production in Iceland in the 18th century using geothermal energy. The production stopped a few decades later, but the tradition was not lost forever. In 2011, Björn Steinar Jónsson co-founded Saltverk, re-instating Icelandic salt production in one of the most remote parts of Europe. The result is a delicious, hand-harvested flaky sea salt that tastes like the ocean and is used by many of the best restaurants in the world. Join us we explore Saltverk’s startup journey. 

  • 10:00 Producing salt with geothermal energy
  • 16:00 Selling to restaurants
  • 24:00 Finding product market fit
  • 35:30 How Saltverk self-funded growth 
  • 43:00 Setting up production

Interested in learning more about oceans and the future of food? Check out this series. You’re also invited to join our community on Instagram 

Posted in: Uncategorized Posted on

Saltverk's CEO Björn Steinar Jónsson on Icelandic salt production from geothermal energy

The Danish king established salt production in Iceland in the 18th century using geothermal energy. The production stopped a few decades later, but the tradition was not lost forever. In 2011, Björn Steinar Jónsson co-founded Saltverk, re-instating Icelandic salt production in one of the most remote parts of Europe. The result is a delicious, hand-harvested flaky sea salt that tastes like the ocean and is used by many of the best restaurants in the world. Join us we explore Saltverk’s startup journey. 

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  • 10:00 Producing salt with geothermal energy

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  • 16:00 Selling to restaurants

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  • 24:00 Finding product market fit

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  • 35:30 How Saltverk self-funded growth 

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  • 43:00 Setting up production

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Episode Transcript

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Related Links

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