Sweden Trip Photo Essay
Courtney Adamson and Rebecka Milestad
In mid-June 2024 members of the CO-SFSC project travelled to Stockholm, Sweden, for three days of project meetings and study visits.
Day 1
Day 1 of the visit involved members of each of the CO-SFSC hubs meeting at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in central Stockholm.
Rebecka Milestad and Courtney Adamson, researchers in the Swedish CO-SFSC hub, hosted everyone at KTH for a day of meetings and workshops. Later the same day CO-SFSC shared a meal at a vegetarian restaurant with a view over the city.
Day 2
On day 2 of the Stockholm visit, all CO-SFSC members, as well as masters students from KTH who had completed their masters theses on topics relevant to the CO-SFSC project, made their way out to Södertälje. Södertälje is a municipality that is part of the Stockholm metropolitan area, approximately 100 km south of the Swedish capital. Here, Swedish hub practice partners, Södertälje municipality, Matlust Development Node and Beras International, are located.
Image sources: https://en.berasinternational.se/about-us/om-beras, https://www.sodertalje.se/, https://matlust.eu/
The overall goal of MatLust is to strengthen growth and sustainable development of small and mid-sized food businesses in the Stockholm region, helping Södertälje to become a regional node of sustainable food systems. Beras International is a foundation working with regenerative organic agriculture, sustainable food systems and sustainable food communities. The foundation is currently working with the first established bio-district in Sweden, “Ekodistrikt Sörmland/Bio-district Sörmland”.
Members from Södertälje municipality currently work together with MatLust and Beras International in the EU-funded project KISMET. The overall aim of KISMET is to support public authorities and other relevant actors to create favourable conditions for food producers and consumers, with a focus on sustainability and circularity.
In the morning of the visit to Södertälje, the group from Stockholm were kindly hosted by practice partners in the Södertälje municipality town hall where CO-SFSC project members had the opportunity to meet with members of Södertälje municipality, Matlust, and Beras International.
Before lunch, the Swedish practice partners presented their work in KISMET and members from the Swedish hub and masters students from KTH presented their research related to the CO-SFSC project. Following the presentations, everyone sat down to a delicious meal in the restaurant at the Town Hall.
Following lunch, everyone made their way out to an area in Södertälje municipality called Ytterjärna where practice partners are working with producers at Nibble market garden, and Järna dairy, to support local and short food supply chains.
CO-SFSC members were shown around the growing fields at Nibble, and introduced to the complexity of small-scale potato production and supply. Following this, the group made their way to Järna dairy where members of Beras International provided a tour of the dairy and illustrated the complexity of small-scale milk production for local and short food supply chains. The group also shared fika from Salta kvårn together, a nearby local company with a local mill.
During the visit to Södertälje and Ytterjärna, CO-SFSC had the opportunity to interview a number of members of the practice partner organisations.
Day 3
Finally, on day 3 of the Sweden visit CO-SFSC members made their way back to KTH for further project meetings. During this day the team discussed learnings from the study visit and wrapped up the project meeting in Stockholm. After lunch, everyone had the opportunity to see more of the city, or head back home.
