New potential for Nordic sustainable procurement in public kitchens

A Nordic seminar and workshops about sustainable procurement in public kitchens gathered over 100 participants from six countries. Each Nordic country serves between 800,000 and 1,000,000 meals in the public sector every day. It is a common challenge to find a sustainable and reasonable solution to this major task. The keynote speaker Mr. Robert Pederson from ARC 2020, discusses the global power of public procurement. The seminar was held 23-24.10.2014 in Helsinki.

Nordic cooperation is growing
- The overwhelming interest in a Nordic seminar and network is an important step towards fulfilling the potential of public food procurement as a tool for creating more sustainable food systems and in the end better welfare, states Emil Blauert, executive advisor for New Nordic Food programme, Nordic Council of Ministers. New Nordic Food II -programme has initiated a network on sustainable public food procurement with Nordic partners.

- Public food procurement is a comprehensive area with huge potential. With more than 6 million meals served every day in more than 60.000 kitchens and more approximately 2.7 billion euro spend every year in the Nordic countries, public food procurement is an important driver for sustainable change in our societies, says Jannie Vestergaard, Livsmedelsakademin, Sweden.

- Finland is a pioneer when it comes to preparing a sustainable national strategy for public procurement for public meals and purchasing. Finland is five or ten years ahead of the other Nordic countries, and this is because we have been extremely clever at organising the political process. This involves a broad policy that covers the social areas, business community, transport, health and education, states Hanne Husso, Ekocentria, Finland.

The power of public procurement is global
Robert Pederson, Food Policy Coordinator at ARC 2020, is keynote speaker at Nordic seminar. ARC2020 (Agriculture and Rural Convention 2020) is a multi-stakeholder platform representing the interests of over 150 civil society networks and organisations in 22 EU Member States, working together for better food, farming and rural development policies.

- The public procurement has a potential to facilitate transition to more sustainable, equitable and healthy food systems, set against the context of current constraints and opportunities in EU Food Policy. The power of public procurement is global, states Robert Pederson.

Nordic seminar facts
The seminar and workshops are targeted for Nordic food service experts, decision makers, public procurement experts, purchasers and food companies. The focus of the seminar and the workshops is to represent the Nordic and European perspective for public food procurement and share best practices in procurement of sustainable food and procurement in public kitchens. Themes of the seminar varies from the reform of the national procurement law, environmental criteria in sustainable food procurement to economic impact of local food.

The seminar is organized by Finnish Sustainable Procurement - project, Ekocentria together with New Nordic Food II-program and other Nordic and national organisations and authorities.

More information about Sustainable Procurement Nordic Seminar, 23-24.10.2014, Helsinki, here

More information:
Emil Blauert, Executive advisor, New Nordic Food II programme, Nordic Council of Ministers, + 45 53 57 60 20, emilblauert@gmail.com, www.nynordiskmad.org

Bettina C. Lindfors, Communication, New Nordic Food at The Nordic Council of Ministers, + 358 50 599 5244, bettina.c.lindfors@gmail.com , www.nynordiskmad.org

Hanne Husso, Sustainable Procurement - project, Ekocentria, Finland, +358 45 136 4130, hanne.husso@sakky.fi , www.kestavathankinnat.fi, www.ekocentria.fi

Jannie Vestergaard, Livsmedelsakademin, Sweden, jannie.vestergaard@livsmedelsakademin.se, www.livsmedelsakademin.se

For related New Nordic Food news:

Key note: The power of public procurement – transition to sustainable food systems (23.10.2014), see newnordicfood.org/news-events/news/show/artikel/key-note-the-power-of-public-procurement-transition-to-sustainable-food-systems/

New welfare perspectives for millions of meals in the Nordic region (25.2.2014), see newnordicfood.org/news-events/news/show/artikel/nye-velfaerdsperspektiver-for-millioner-af-maaltider-i-norden/

New Nordic Food II is a communication programme under the Nordic Council of Ministers that promotes Nordic food in the region and internationally. NNF II runs in the period 2010-2014. NNF II focuses on improving meals in homes and institutions, strengthening children’s food culture and encouraging local food production and use of food when promoting the region. NNF II sees gastronomy as a valuable creative industry and promotes cooperation with other Nordic creative industries. Nordic food products, taste, health and attractive surroundings are fundamental in all activities within New Nordic Food II. www.newnordicfood.org