The themes for this year’s event are food exports, urban food strategies, food and technology, sustainable food systems knowledge and food culture. The event will bring together a heterogenous audience to discuss and brainstorm about the future of food in Finland and beyond
−Food Days is becoming a world well-known happening. I m extremely proud to see how the event has been evolving in the last 4 year. We have been able to create a global movement around it and to attract the best food experts to Seinäjoki. Food Days has a strong networking component and its final aim is really to give place to new ideas, projects and collaborations, says Silvia Gaiani, Senior Researcher at the University of Helsinki's Ruralia Institute.
The export potential of the Finnish food sector is one of the key themes of the event. Speakers will include export experts such as Thimjos Ninios (MTK), Suvi Luoma (Foodwest Oy), Seppo Pellikka (Atria) and Jukka Vainionpää (Ruokatieto ry), who will open up strategies for accessing international markets. In addition, Valeria Temple will bring an international business perspective on the use of technological innovation for export growth.
Expert speakers on food chain sustainability, food waste prevention and urban food strategies will include Steven M. Finn (Leanpath), Claudia Giordano (LUKE) and María Carrascosa (Fundación Entretantos), who will offer research and practice-based solutions for building a more sustainable food system.
The promotion of sustainability will also be addressed by an international panel of experts and a presentation by Maxime Willems (Proef Lab) on the future of food development. There will also be concrete tools and results in a concise pitch. The study visit will give access to food laboratories and business cases in the region.
The event is organised by the University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute, Into Seinäjoki Oy and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. Co-funded by the European Union and the City of Seinäjoki.