Partner meeting and study visits in Valmiera, Latvia

We make transition! meeting in Vidzeme Region, Latvia focuses on organic food and sustainable food systems, which has been the topic of the Vidzeme Transition Arena.

In addition to project talks and exchange of experiences between partners, the meeting includes presentations and discussions with sustainable food system experts from Latvia, Norway, Germany and Finland.  The meeting includes also inspiring study visits in the beautiful countryside in Latvia.

Programme

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

09:00 – 09:15 Registration
09:15 – 09:30 Welcome, Vidzeme Planning region
09:30 – 9:50 Project update, Johanna Leino
09:50 – 10:20 Networking session
10:20 – 11:00  Coaching the method and learnings, examples, Henna Salminen
11:00 – 11:15    Coffee break
11:15 – 12:00   Discussion in three & general discussion about implementing results
12:00 – 13:00  Bus transfer
13:00 – 18:00  Study visit to the Bioregion
- Visit to Līgatne school. Lunch. Meeting with the School Principal, discussion about local organic products in the school menu, green public procurement for food.
- Visit "Pavāru māja," Latvia's first Michelin Green Star restaurant. Meeting with chef Ēriks Dreibants. Story about sustainable gastronomy. Meeting with a representative from the "Greenfest" association, the initiator of the Vidzeme Bioregion.
- Visit MALA Art Space /café in Cēsis. MALA is a community and cultural activity space located in old brewery. It actively shapes cultural life in the city by organizing various events and
providing a platform for creativity. Meeting with representative of company “Labas saknes” - a family business making healthy snacks from vegetables, especially carrots and leftover
vegetables after juicing.

18:30 Dinner at the Valmiermuiža Craft Brewery restaurant. Insight into the restaurant's philosophy, – in addition to the small manor beer brewery, it has become a popular gourmet tourism destination. As an active member of Latvian Food Bioeconomy Cluster company strives to promote sustainable innovation in the food production and consumption value chain which is grounded in the principles of circular bioeconomy.

Thursday, 24 April, 2025

08:45 – 09:00 Registration
09:00 – 11:00 Interactive session with food experts from four countries
- Līga Proškina, Associate Professor on sustainable food, University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Latvia
- Florian Minzlaff, coordinator of the Training Kitchen in Bremen, Germany
- x.x., Trondheim municipality, Norway
- Irene Kuhmonen, Postdoctoral researcher on food systems and sustainability transition, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
-  Comments, discussion and country comparison
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 12:00 Evaluation, Anna Burhorst
12:00 - 13:00  Discussion on project activities and reporting in the final period
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch