From May 26–28, 2025, the 1st Nordic-Baltic Food systems conference and policy forum #NFN2025 took place in Helsinki, where our project partners from the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge also took part.
Ants-Hannes Viira, Krista Nurk, Jüri Lillemets ja Aki Kadulin gave impactful presentations. The conference focused on the challenge of securing sustainable food systems in today’s turbulent times. The event brought together over 200 researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across Europe.
Five 5 key takeaways from the conference:
Food systems must be able to handle unexpected crises while maintaining long-term sustainability.
To make changes in food consumption and production (such as reducing meat consumption) widely accepted, it’s important to consider people’s cultural backgrounds and taste preferences.
Nature-friendly farming and precision technologies can reduce environmental impacts, improve production efficiency, and strengthen the security of local food supply.
Sustainability shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of farmers — strong support from national and local governments is essential to ensure the true resilience of food systems.
Local governments play a crucial role in food system planning and preparedness. They are responsible for providing catering in schools, supporting local businesses, and contributing to spatial planning — all of which require ongoing collaboration with various stakeholders in the food system.