We (Jenny and Hanna) left early on 24/09 for Odensala and Herresta Lada. There a group of people were waiting so eager to discuss the topic of food preparedness. A very appropriate topic of conversation, in honor of the preparedness week. We were welcomed by the host Tord, who also sits on our board, who offered us coffee and homemade sandwiches.
A diverse society.
The purpose of the day was partly to exchange knowledge, and partly to investigate how Sigtuna Municipality can continue to work with food preparedness. Helena Nordlund from Södertälje Municipality began with an overview of how Södertälje Municipality has worked with the concept Diet for a Green Planet for over 15 years, and later went into more detail about what the procurement process looks like. She uses an important and topical concept – multi-scale. Different crises and situations require different solutions. With the help of both small and large companies and projects, we can more easily fill gaps in preparedness, and we thus become more resilient. Thanks to a deep dive into how the municipality is trying to buy more local food and reduce food waste in schools, for example, the understanding of the challenges and benefits of working with these issues at the municipal level increased.
Who is someone?
Ewa Westergren from Trosa complements the civil perspective. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. The question is, who will do it? Who is this someone who will solve our problems? Ewa is full of inspiration that rubs off on the rest of the participants. She shows that it is possible for a private person to take their own initiative to bring about change. Through collaboration with a variety of different organizations, new meeting places have been created in Trosa, such as the spring market, peer groups, gardens and more volunteers in the voluntary organizations. The value of social interaction permeates the initiatives, and in addition, they have worked with many groups of people such as newcomers, the elderly and preschool children, to increase inclusion and community in Trosa.
Two very inspiring talks and two project leaders with a can-do attitude, that's how I sum up the first part of the day. In addition, both Helena's and Ewa's preparedness journey began in leader projects, which shows how small seeds can grow into something big.
Local businesses: Opportunities and challenges.
We also heard reflections from local entrepreneurs. Joakim and Helena Langhard from Langhard Lantbruk talked about what it's like to have the municipality as a customer, and Johanna Mellberg from Johanna & mat talked about the opportunities and challenges of shopping locally and organically.
This is followed by group discussions, and the theme is local farming in Sigtuna and the role of the municipality in preparedness. The groups sit and discuss for an hour. The posters are quickly filled with keywords such as cooperation, urban farming, preparedness stocks and political orientation. We hear about wild boar days, master plans and collaboration with neighboring municipalities, among other things.
During the day we have learned a lot from Södertälje and Trosa, but also about the conditions that exist in Sigtuna. We have heard from entrepreneurs, residents and Sigtuna's own politicians, and together we have tried to create a picture of the situation. It is clear that food security is engaging many, as the conversations continue throughout lunch.
A big thank you to all participants, we hope to see you in November at conference on local food. Registration will open soon, so stay tuned! If you don't have the patience to wait, we are also organizing a workshop in Vallentuna on Sunday 28/9. There are still a few places left, and you can register here.
By joining for free our network you will receive our newsletter and invitations to the meeting in November, theme evenings and study visits.