Dr. Mikelis Grivins on foraging and the black market for wild foods

Is foraging sustainable? Is a black market around wild foods okay? Dr. Mikelis Grivins, a senior researcher at the Baltic Studies Centre, has built his academic career on studying foraging and the sustainability transition in Central and Eastern Europe. In this episode, we discuss the alternative food system and business that exists around wild foods in Europe. We also take a look at how post-Soviet states like Latvia had to develop alternative food pathways like foraging and how that feeds into today's conversations around sustainability.  4:00 Overview of alternative food systems are important 17:00 4 types of foragers across Europe 20:20 Exploitation, transparency & regulation in the wild food market 25:00 Wild washing Artist Alexandra Genis on why all foods are artificial Using blockchain to trace food from farm to fork  The chef preserving Iceland’s food traditions The Importance of Microbes in the Greenlandic Diet Regenerative agriculture and our connection with nature This podcast was recorded live at the Future of Food Hackathon in Riga, Latvia and is supported by the Nordic Council of Minister's Office in Latvia. For more conversation, join our community on Instagram and hear more episodes on www.nordicfoodtech.io.