At the end of August, Slow Food members from the Nordic countries met online for the annual meeting of Slow Food in the Nordic Countries. Local Slow Food groups from all the Nordic countries and Latvia were represented at the meeting.
Jannie Vestergaard, chair of Slow Food in the Nordic Countries, presented activities from the past year, with a primary focus on planning of the upcoming Terra Madre Nordic event, taking place in Vesterålen, Norway, on April 10–12, 2026.
Projects, Gatherings, and Communication
Other activities from the past year included several Nordic Calls, during which the Slow Food communities in the Nordic countries and regions, as well as colleagues from the Baltic countries, regularly meet online to discuss current topics, share local initiatives, and insights.
The year also included the project Our Common Nordic Roots, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia. As part of the project and knowledge exchange, representatives from Straupe Earth Market, a Slow Food market in Latvia, met with Slow Food in the Nordic Countries and local producers in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Skåne, Sweden.
In September 2024, around fifty Slow Food leaders, members, and activists from the Nordic countries and regions gathered during Terra Madre in Turin, Italy, to share recent initiatives and common goals. Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi visited the event.
A project currently underway is the reactivation of the organization’s communication, featuring an updated website and a team of volunteer communicators.
New Board Members From Sweden and Finland
Jannie Vestergaard will remain as chair of the board, with Andreas Aspevold also continuing his task as treasurer for the organization.
“I am so happy to continue as chair for another two years, and pleased to welcome new board members,” says Vestergaard.
Board members Minna Junttila (Finland), Laurel Ekström (Sweden), and Þórhildur María Jónsdóttir (Iceland) are joined by new members Eva Jilkén (Sweden) and Minaë Tani-LaFleur (Finland).
Sharing experiences and addressing challenges
New board member Eva Jilkén sees the activities of Slow Food in the Nordic Countries as essential in safeguarding biodiversity, promoting education, and advocating for sustainable food systems.
“Our Nordic collaboration allows us to share experiences, inspire each other, and address challenges such as climate change, while also supporting local food cultures and small-scale producers,” Jilkén says.
Jilkén, a food tourism specialist, also sees possibilities for the Slow Food Travel initiative in the Nordic countries and regions, highlighting how food tourism can serve as a tool to support local producers, protect traditions, and invite visitors to engage with food that is good, clean, and fair.
Strengthening Nordic Collaboration
From Finland and Slow Food Helsinki, Minaë Tani-LaFleur joins the Slow Food in the Nordic Countries board.
“I am excited to be in the place where Slow Food Helsinki can connect more widely with the Nordic and Baltic regions and together move forward with Slow Food initiatives”, Tani-LaFleur says.
Moving from Japan to Finland eight years ago, learning about local seasonality and produce, and preserving her own food and cooking heritage became important topics, which led Tani-LaFleur to join Slow Food Helsinki. Today, she is building a collective-run food business.
“I try to apply the Slow Food values in our operations, and I care about the sustainability of food systems which support good, clean and fair food for all”, Tani-LaFleur says.
Next Step: Terra Madre Nordic 2026
For the past few months, the board and a planning group have been finalizing funding for Terra Madre Nordic in Norway in April 2026. Later this year, more practical details will be revealed regarding the program, speakers, and workshops.
The boards welcome all Slow Food leaders, members, and activists to join the monthly Nordic Calls, which are informal digital meetings that give a great opportunity to stay in the loop of Slow Food activities in the Nordic countries, meet like-minded, share best practices from your local group, as well as get to know the latest news on Terra Madre Nordic.
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