There is great interest in local and regional food in Sweden. Producers are developing many new ideas, and demand among consumers is high. Sweden is a geographically large and varied country that provides a range of conditions for food production and processing, and the selection of local food is therefore both large and diverse.

We would like to share our own experiences, and learn from those of other nations. We are also very keen to collaborate with representatives from other countries, so that we may together pave the way for a larger, more varied range of high quality local and regional food. We believe that there are good opportunities to develop business ideas throughout the food supply chain.

We have chosen several themes for this first conference. Visions, Possibilities and Obstacles will be the opening theme. We must think long-term and exchange ideas in order to achieve the development of local food as a real alternative. Marketing and Distribution has been chosen as a theme because it is often difficult for small producers to reach the consumer. Good examples from different countries will be presented. Local food means reduced transportation, and consequently less atmospheric pollution. Reduced transportation can also lead to improved animal welfare. In this theme, scientists will report on the progress that has been made. Next we are going to focus on quality, taste and especially preserved produce. We will offer you a specialty of northern Sweden, Souvas -smoked reindeer meat. The closing theme of the conference will be about the advantages of collaboration between different regions and between different countries. The conference can be a starting point for a more intensive collaboration between many European countries!