Stockholm has taken the lead in the development of new, sustainable food systems, and has become an attractive place for global R&D, investments and startups looking to disrupt the food industry. During the second week of June, Stockholm invites world leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators, to co-create the future food city.
Guests can enjoy the Stockholm Future Food Festival “Smaka på Stockholm” – one of the world’s largest food festivals as well as the only one with a zero waste ambition, Sweden Foodtech Big Meet – the annual gathering around the new food system based on tech, data, sustainability and health, and finally EAT Stockholm Food Forum where the brightest minds in food join at the world’s leading platform for global food transformation.
‘The city of Stockholm has the vision to become a global leader in foodtech, food innovation and digitalization. We believe that a change of our food system is not only necessary, but provides a massive opportunity for those that can build solutions, systems and technology geared towards the next generation food system. In collaboration with Stockholm’s food communities that gather nearly 300 companies we aim to make Stockholm an attractive place for global R&D, investments and startups,’says Anna König Jerlmyr, Mayor of Stockholm.
A number of studies on new urban food systems, conducted by the city, support the idea of increased local, sustainable production, digitalized vertical farming and reusing wasted urban resources in dense agglomerations. The studies all show how these developments can generate substantial economic and social benefits.
Some of the innovation projects supported by the city are C/O city – the development of green walls and roofs, Cultivating City Bazaars – climate safe urban farming and the Green Guide – advisory services to companies. The city also supports the development of new specialized hubs and city districts for food innovations in co-operation with leading real estate owners.
‘We strongly believe that cities are the key to the challenges facing the food system. That is why we recognize that food is a key factor in almost every process in a city. We all eat, but to do that we need to transport, cook, serve and take care of the waste. If you start to see the city through the lens of food you suddenly see so much more and can start to act,’ says Johan Jörgensen, founder of Sweden Foodtech, the organization driving change towards the future food city.
Stockholm’s sustainable, health-conscious and change-minded citizens point to the future with a common ambition to reduce our ecological imprint. With the June events, the aim is to build bridges to other cities in the world in order for the necessary innovations to rapidly scale.
