Nordic Foodtech

Fernando Russo is the co-founder of Meraki Impact, a single family office from Brazil dedicated to investments in regenerative agriculture, forest and the future of sustainable food production. Guided by venture philanthropy, Meraki Impact has made dozens of investments in technology to enable the scale of regenerative agriculture and in large scale regenerative agriculture farms in Latin America and Europe. In this episode, we discuss Fernando's uncommon career path. He used to work for Playboy and AB InBev before he pivoted to food. We also explain what regenerative agriculture is, the industry's potential, and technology enablers. Fernando also explains how they use the venture philanthropy model to invest in pioneering startups as well as grassroots initiatives, especially related to regenerating the Amazon rain forest. ⁠Become a subscriber⁠ Want to connect with Fernando? Subscribe to the Future Food newsletter to access his contact details and the episode transcript. You'll subscription wil

In 2007, journalist Teun van de Keuken turned himself in for eating chocolate. He claimed that by buying chocolate he was benefiting from child slavery and he wasn’t wrong. The cocoa supply chain is shaped like an hourglass. The chain starts with millions of farmers that produce cocoa and ends with the billions of consumers like us that enjoy chocolate. But what about the bit in between? This section is dominated by a small group of chocolate giants that profit from keeping the cocoa purchasing price as low as possible. For the farmers, this creates a poverty trap that leads to illegal child labor and modern slavery. From this revelation, Tony’s Chocolonely was born. By raising awareness with great marketing, leading by example in producing their own chocolate, and inspiring othersto act with initatives like the Open Chain they aim to make 100% slave free chocolate the industry norm. Today’s episode is an awesome example of how a strong vision can shift an industry. I sit down with Joke Aerts to discuss how

How can startups in the climate, ag, and foodtech space get the funding they need to scale their solutions? Climentum Capital, a European VC, asked me to come on their podcast Climate Insiders to discuss just that. I speak with Partner Yoann Berno about the art and science of fundraising giving you a behind the scenes look at how investors think, make decisions on deal flow, and what they typically look for. Attracting the Right Investors - Get the Masterclass Want to dive deeper on how you can create a fundraising strategy that closes your ideal investors? Download my Masterclass on ⁠Attracting the Right Investors here⁠. Book a Workshop In this 90 min 1:1 coaching workshop, you and Analisa will go through your pitch deck and review your fundraising strategy. Analisa will give constructive feedback from an investors’ point of view to help you find and land the right investors for your growth journey. ⁠Learn more and book here.⁠ Related Links ⁠Watch this episode as a YouTube video⁠ ⁠Interview with a love

Claus Meyer is a true gastronomic entrepreneur. He co-founded Noma with Rene Redzepi, which has been voted the best restaurant in the world multiple times. In 2004, he spearheaded the writing of the New Nordic Manifesto, an influential philosophy that spread like wildfire on how chefs can approach cooking using traditional ingredients and local produce. Claus is also behind the Melting Pot Foundation, which trains individuals in underserved communities from Morocco to Bolivia and even in Danish prisons to become chefs. He’s also been the host of multiple cooking shows with global reach, authored several cookbooks, started a catering company, deli, bakery chain, country hotel, orchard, and is behind several high-end restaurants globally. The red thread through all of Claus’s work is to create healthy, delicious meals that inspire us to see eating as an agricultural act. In this episode, we discuss Claus’ career and how his opinion on what a good food future looks like has changed over time. Related Links Top

How do you find the right investor for a startup? This is a million dollar question that early stage startups ask me all the time. And, I get it. Finding the right investors IS super important. They can help to make or break the company. Today's podcast episode is a snippet of my new masterclass ⁠Attracting the Right Investors⁠, which deep dives into this topic. In it, I share the seven strategies I teach my one-on-one coaching clients to help them land investors that align with their vision and values. These principles have been gleaned from years of experience putting together startup-investor relationships. It's a behind the scenes look at how investors think when evaluating a startup, which will help you to enter the fundraising process with confidence and clarity. Enjoy! Download ⁠⁠Attracting the Right Investors - Masterclass ⁠⁠⁠⁠here Book a 1:1 In this 90 min 1:1 coaching workshop, Analisa will go through your pitch deck with you and review your fundraising strategy. Analisa will give construct

4 years ago I started the Nordic FoodTech Podcast. A lot has happened since then. I’ve evolved. The show’s evolved and now it’s time for a change. I’m rebranding the show to be called Future Food with Analisa Winther and we’re going global!The show’s core focus will stay the same: share stories of individuals and organizations creating a better future through food to foster more awareness and collaboration BUT the scope will now be global and more broad when it comes to topic areas. I share the full thinking and reasoning behind the rebrand in this minisode. Related Links Get 20% off an annual subscription to the podcast Apply to be on the show

When it comes to the solving the climate crisis, food is a big part of the puzzle. Food is responsible for 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions, but historically it hasn’t been in the spotlight of climate conversations. In today’s episode, I speak with Brent Loken who is the Global Food Lead Scientist for the World Wildlife Fund. We discuss the power each country has to create food system transformation. All of these natural climate solutions fit together to create an exponential roadmap for solving the Great Food Puzzle and reaching the biodiversity, climate, and health goals we’ve set as an international community. Give Thanks To The Show Has the show helped you learn about the future of food? Find a job? Make an investment? Partner with an org? Change how you eat? This podcast is powered by listener support and contributions. If the show has helped you in any way, please consider becoming a monthly or annual subscriber. Your contribution goes a long way to tell more stories about how we can create a better fu

At the top of Norway near the Arctic Circle, you will find the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Like you and I back up our phones and computers, seed banks around the world serve as the ultimate insurance policy for the world’s food supply. They store copies of every important crop variety available in the world today. Their goal is give future generations options. Whether we face war, climate change, or population growth, they make sure that we have seeds to replant and genetic diversity in our food supply for years to come. My guest today is Lise Lykke Steffensen. She is the Director of NordGen or the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. NordGen runs the Svalbard Global Seed Vault along with the Norwegian Ministry of Agricutlure and Food and the Crop Trust. Their mission is to preserve and promote the sustainable use of the genetic resources within plants, farm animals, and forestry in the Nordic countries. Join us as we discuss the importance of genetic diversity and the role of seed keepers in ensuring our future

One of my favorite questions to ask leaders is: what is your relationship to your intuition? This question always leads to a fascinating conversation about how our intuition does or doesn't influence decision-making. This is also a topic I love to discuss with my coaching clients. Our bodies carry so much wisdom and data around what we should do, but it can take time and practice for us to get in touch with our intuition and trust it as a knowledge source. In this episode, I explore the role of intuition in business. Related Links Apply for coaching with Analisa Episode with the Kogi on merging indigenous wisdom with modern science and technology Join the newsletter Become a patron of the show

The Kogis escaped colonization by retreating high up into the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Colombia. This is nothing short of a miracle. Their ancient, indigenous culture has been preserved since pre-Colombian times giving us a glimpse of what life would have been like when the Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs ruled and we interacted with the world in another way. They recently started traveling and connecting with us - The Little Brothers as they like to call us - to raise awareness about climate change, biodiversity loss, and the need for us to come together and create a new, third world that brings together indigenous wisdom with modern science and technology. In today’s episode, I speak with Lucas Buchholz who has written a book for the Kogi and traveled the world with them as their translator. We discuss the Kogi's message and what a food system that supports life looks like from their point of view. A big thank you to Mac Krol for sponsoring this episode. Mac is the Director of the European Inst

Here are two exercises I often do at the end of the year. The first one is about reflecting on what happened in the year past before defining what you want to create more of in the year to come. This is summarized by one word that anchors the vision. The second practice is one I love to do with family and friends around the holidays. It's about acknowledgement and enabling your community to support you. Often when starting with a new client, we do a check-in on where they are right now before we take a look at what they want to create in the next 12 months. This is a practice I do with individuals and organizations. It's about creating the big vision and then working backwards to determine what needs to happen to get there. When we create a vision and share it with others - whether in our professional or personal lives - we enable others to support us in getting there. If you do either exercise, send me a message and let me know how it went. Feel free to tag me on Instagram or LinkedIn. I love to hear from

Jesper Hansen started his career as a Michelin chef before getting into fish. He was the Sous Chef of Søllerød Kro in Denmark helping the famous fine dining restaurant get its first star in 2006.  Then his career took a turn. Today, Jesper is the Executive Managing Director of Fiskerikajen, a modern-day fishmonger that has been selling sustainably sourced fish to many of the best and most famous restaurants in the world since 1999 A big thank you to Wavy Wonders seaweed snacks for sponsoring this episode.Today, you’re going to hear Jesper talk a lot about how we can respect our seas by minding what we consume and where it comes from. Seaweed is a great example of a sea vegetable that is not only wildly delicious, but also does wonders for the environment. If you are hosting a conference, event, or have a workplace where you’d like to serve healthy, sustainable snacks, Wavy Wonders is a great choice. Visit their website to learn more. Episode Transcript Related Links

In this minisode, I cover how to pitch a podcast you might want to appear on to promote your business. I go over the criteria I have for the Nordic FoodTech Podcast, how I evaluate potential interviewees, and give tips for writing cold pitch emails. Apply for the Nordic FoodTech Podcast here Like the show? Consider becoming a patron on Substack.    You’ll get access to exclusive content like Analisa’s travel notes  and   episode transcripts. Most importantly, your contribution directly enables the creation of more content like this. Contributions start at $5.  Sign up here. Website: www.nordicfoodtech.io  Instagram: @nordicfoodtech  Show Host: Analisa Winther 

Coffee is a filled with bioactive compounds that beneficial for our health and well being, but when you or I brew a cup we tap less than 1% of the plant’s full potential. The rest we throw away in the coffee grounds. That’s where Kaffe Bueno comes in. They are a bioscience company upcycling coffee grounds into ingredients for the cosmetic, nutraceutical, and functional food and beverage industry. Today, I speak with Alejandro Franco, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Kaffe Bueno. We talk about their startup journey, how we can unlock food waste to create high value products, and what it means to design a circular business model. This episode was brought to you by Danish Technological Institute. Their experts have extensive knowledge within product development and market evaluation of food and you can use their technological facilities for upcycling, circular economy, and much more. Danish Technological Institute works with clients all around the world helping them to transform their ideas into busin

As a startup you have to pitch all of the time. As your company grows and takes on new markets and foreign investors, you have to adapt your pitch to speak to them. This means some cultural adjustments in how you do business.  I just wrapped up doing the pitch coaching for the Nordic US Food Summit and noticed 3 common mistakes that almost all startups made when approaching the US market. In this minisode, I share what they are and how you can avoid them when pitching any VC, potential partner, or customer located outside of your home operating market.  Like the show? Consider becoming a patron on Substack.  You'll get access to exclusive content like Analisa's travel notes and  episode transcripts. Most importantly, your contribution directly  enables the creation of more content like this. Contributions start at  $5.  Sign up here.   Website: www.nordicfoodtech.io  Instagram: @nordicfoodtech  Show Host: Analisa Winther

The Marine Stewardship Council is kind of a big deal in the world of fish. They are the organization that sets the standards for sustainable fisheries worldwide. If a fishery meets MSC’s standards, their products are awarded with a blue ecolabel. Many global organizations like IKEA and McDonald’s exclusively purchase MSC certified fish. For them, its a standard that denotes quality and sustainability. This also means that who and what gets certified matters a lot in the global market.  In this episode, I sit down with Linnéa Engström. Before becoming the Director of the Baltic Sea Region & Scandinavia at Marine Stewardship Council, Linnéa worked in politics. She was the Former First Vice Chair of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament. While in office, she wrote the first report in the European Parliament on climate justice along with legislation for the sustainable management of the EU’s external fishing  fleet. She is also the author of two books, Climate Feminism and Queen Fish. W

I've got big news to share! I am going 100% in on starting my own business, which includes growing the podcast. In this episode, I share the details behind the move. If you believe in me and would like to support this work, consider becoming a paid subscriber of the podcast on Substack. To celebrate, I'm offering 20% off an annual subscription to the podcast, which makes it $39 for the year or about $3.50 every month. Sign up here.

Hospitals, schools, prisons, elderly homes, day cares, and corporate canteens are all examples of public or professional kitchens. Every day these kitchens churn out hundreds of meals, which means they have a pretty major influence not only on what people eat, but also the entire supply chain. In today’s episode, I sit down with Line Rise Nielsen, The Food Policy Director of Changing Food a consultancy that helps kitchens convert to more sustainable practices. Line and I get into how these kitchens are undergoing transition and why their role is sup important. A big thank you to Lund University and Region Skåne for sponsoring this episode. They hosted a workshop at Skåne Innovation Week along with Krinova and Greater Copenhagen looking at the role of public meals in Scandinavia. Read more here. Episode Transcript Related Links Ellen MacArthur Foundation on circular food cities Aarstiderne on pioneering home grocery delivery C40 Cities on the mayors addressung climate change KBH Madhus on shifting to 90% organ

Maliina Abelsen is the Head of Programme at UNICEF in Greenland. From 2009-2013 she was a Member of Parliament in the Greenlandic Inatsisartut where she first served as the Minister of Social Affairs and Equality and then as the Minister of Finance. She has also served as the CCO of Air Greenland and the CEO of the Arctic Winter Games 2016. This episode was recorded in Nuuk as part of the UNLEASH Regional Innovation Lab, which gathered 200 people under the age of 35 from the Arctic and Nordics to develop solutions to the challenges we are facing as a region. We had a particular focus on biodiversity, education, and health and wellbeing. In this episode, we discuss what creating a sustainable solution from indigenous knowledge and modern science and technology can look like, why food is a powerful healer, and how we must consider the whole in our creations. Episode Transcript  Related Links Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann on the Greenlandic Diet Revolution More episodes on the Nordics food heritage Trailer:

Mia Maja Hansson has been super influential in nurturing Copenhagen’s food startup scene. She launched Kitchen Collective, one of the first test kitchens in Europe followed by a co-working collective and street food festival for startups to test new products. The red thread in everything she does is a vision to create a more sustainable, diverse food culture that’s supported by healthy businesses and healthy people. In today’s episode, we talk to Mia Maja about her journey, common mistakes she sees food entrepreneurs make, and recommendations for running a test kitchen. Episode Transcript Related Episodes Join the newsletter Top 10 startup Interviews How these chefs view food as a vehicle for change These investors are focused on food and ag Ocean Harvest on regenerative ocean farming