PLENTY Kick-off

PLENTY is one of five centres selected for funding under

Formas' call for "Contingency planning and competitiveness in the food system" .

PLENTY aims to contribute to the sustainability transition, competitiveness, and contingency planning of the Swedish food system through innovative research and collaboration. As an innovative research center PLENTY is designed to strengthen Sweden's food supply and promote a symbiotic and circular food ecosystem. Coordinated by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the center brings together a diverse coalition of more than 20 partners from academia, industry, public sector, and civil society committed to transforming food systems.

The research center comprises academic partners like Stockholm School of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and Örebro University, alongside industry leaders such as Arla Foods, ICA Sweden, and Orkla Foods Sweden. The public sector is represented by Stockholm Water and Waste, while AxFoundation contributes from the civil society perspective. PLENTY's primary objective is to map and optimize the use of side streams and residual flows in the Swedish food chain, aiming to reduce import dependency and increase domestic food production. This initiative is particularly crucial given recent global challenges like extreme weather, pandemic disruptions, and geopolitical tensions that have exposed vulnerabilities in both Swedish and global food supply chains. By bringing together a multidisciplinary team, PLENTY seeks to develop innovative solutions that enhance food security, sustainability, and resilience.

Programme: 

13:00 – 13:10: Welcome

KTH vice-President for Research, Prof. Annika Borgenstam

13:10 - 13:35 Keynote: "Presentation of the call, National Research program on Food"

Speaker: Emma Stockvall Carlsson and Alexandre Dubois, Formas

13:35 - 14:00 Keynote: "Understanding Preparedness/resilience in food systems"

Speaker: Lina Gordon, Stockholm Resilience Centre/ PLATE -a Swedish research center for resilient meals

14:00 - 14:15 PLENTY Overview

Presenter: Francisco Vilaplana

14:15 – 14:30 Coffee break

14:30 - 15:50 Panel Discussions

14:30 - 15:05 Societal Acceptance and Innovation Ecosystems: Paving the Way for Circular Food Systems

Barbro Fröding (KTH) moderator
Panelists: Annelise de Jong (IVL), Valentina Tartari (SSE), Erik Lundgren (Ljusgårda), Christian Sjöland (Axfoundation), Maria Gustafsson (ICA)

Break 15:05-15:10

15:10 – 15:50 From Waste to Value: Innovating Circular Food Systems for Sustainability and Resilience

Francisco Vilaplana (KTH) moderator
Panelists: Mike Martin (IVL), Zeynep Cetecioglu Gurol (KTH), Audinisa Fadhila (Ragnsells), Orkla (Anders Högberg), Arla (Matias Vía)

15:50 - 16:00 Closing Remarks

This event marks the beginning of our collaborative efforts to address complex challenges in the food system, focusing on the nexus between contingency planning, sustainability transition, and competitiveness. PLENTY brings together academic and non-academic partners to conduct transdisciplinary research and drive innovation in the Swedish food sector. We look forward to your participation in shaping the future of food research, preparedness, and innovation in Sweden.

Please register to confirm your participation by February 4, 2025 here.