Written by Giovanna Saturni
On Thursday, May 20th, Crossing Borders hosted a dynamic and thought-provoking and youth-focused webinar exploring some of Denmark’s promising food sustainability initiatives. The event was held as part of the Edu4Food project, an initiative aimed at fostering innovation, collaboration, and education around sustainable food systems across the continent.
Bringing together a diverse group of speakers, practitioners, and engaged participants, the webinar unfolded over the course of a full afternoon. The event was structured into three thematic, hour-long sessions, each showcasing different aspects of Denmark’s Farm to Fork sector.
The goal of the webinar was to provide a platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing around innovative, community-driven approaches to food and sustainability. Each session opened with an introduction to the Edu4Food project, outlining its objectives and relevant outputs, before moving on to presentations from guest speakers whose work focuses on sustainable practices in action.
Farm to Fork Innovation
Participants were introduced to seven different initiatives, each tackling food sustainability from a different perspective. The speakers each gave an engaging, comprehensive presentation on their work.
Among them was Emil Kleis Boll, on behalf of Matr, a Danish company focused on plant-based food innovation through the art of fungi fermentation. Matr’s mission is to develop flavorful, nutrient-rich vegan products that offer a sustainable alternative to traditional animal-based foods. Their approach focuses on minimizing the ecological footprint of food production while maintaining culinary quality.
Another standout presentation came from Anne Stald Møllmann, who discussed her work at Havhøst, a marine agriculture organization devoted to regenerative aquaculture. By cultivating seaweed and shellfish, Havhøst not only contributes to cleaner ocean ecosystems but also promotes scalable models for sea-based food systems that work with nature rather than against it.
For the second session, the fight against food waste was taken up by Madboks, a local Copenhagen-based initiative that has developed a hands-on system for collecting, sorting, and redistributing surplus food. The speakers, Pauline Blondet & Wasiem von Heydebrand, discussed how their work bridges environmental activism with social impact, ensuring that edible food does not end up in landfills but instead reaches those in need, and welcomed interested participants to reach out and get involved in their processes.
The webinar also spotlighted Byaasgaard Naturecamping and Micro-farm, which integrates organic agriculture with eco-tourism to educate visitors about regenerative land use.
Meanwhile, the third session focused on educational opportunities in the sustainable food area. Sault Avery, from SolRa, an organization focused on agroforestry, shared insights into how regenerative land practices can serve as powerful educational tools to inspire future generations of farmers and environmental stewards.
Regeneration as a Common Thread
While each speaker brought their own unique perspective, an overarching theme quickly emerged over the course of the afternoon: regeneration. Whether discussing land, sea, or community, the concept of restoring rather than depleting resources became a central pillar across the sessions.
Speakers emphasized the urgent need to transition from exploitative models of food production to regenerative ones that not only sustain but actively revive ecosystems. This narrative echoed the broader goals of the Edu4Food project, which aims to foster local innovation in food systems while equipping youth with the tools to create systemic change.
Platform for Dialogue and Engagement
With around 30 attendees, the webinar struck a balance between intimacy and impact. Each session concluded with a dedicated Q&A session, sparking engaging exchanges between participants and speakers. These discussions were moderated by Crossing Borders’ Andrew Gibbons, the project coordinator for Edu4Food, whose facilitation helped connect thematic dots across sessions.
Notably, the second session focused on initiatives with volunteer engagement opportunities, highlighting the crucial role of citizen participation in driving sustainable change. The third and final session delved into education as a catalyst for long-term transformation in food systems.
Cultivating a Sustainable Future
The Edu4Food webinar succeeded not only in showcasing Denmark’s sustainability initiatives but also in reinforcing the idea that food systems transformation requires collective effort. From grassroots innovation, innovative sustainable business models to advocacy, the presentations revealed the multifaceted nature of sustainability, and the many pathways towards it.
In a world increasingly defined by environmental urgency, the initiatives featured in the webinar offer hopeful points of reference for how we might feed ourselves without feeding the climate crisis. By championing regeneration, education, and community involvement, they remind us that the journey from farm to fork can also be a journey toward ecological renewal.
As the Edu4Food project continues to unfold, events like this serve as opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and action, reminding us that the future of food is not only about what we eat, but how, where, and why we produce it.
Did you miss the webinar? well check out the complete presentation here!
