The Renaissance of Local Food through Ethical Online Marketing for Seniors

The project set out to give new life to local food by connecting traditional knowledge with modern digital skills. At its heart was a belief that sustainability is not only about what we eat, but ...

The project set out to give new life to local food by connecting traditional knowledge with modern digital skills. At its heart was a belief that sustainability is not only about what we eat, but about how we tell the story of where food comes from - and who makes it. We wanted to help senior producers and adult learners feel confident in using digital tools to share their traditions and promote local, sustainable food online. Through cooperation between Denmark, Italy, and Türkiye, we aimed to create a learning process that combined ethics, creativity, and practical skills in communication. More concretely, the project wanted to: • Empower senior local producers to promote and sell their products through ethical online marketing and storytelling. • Raise awareness of local and sustainable food as a way to care for both people and the planet. • Collect and share best cases and practices from across the partner countries, turning them into concrete examples and inspiration for others working in the field. • Develop educational materials and tools, including a digital course and a documentary, that others could freely use to continue learning after the project ended.

The project progressed through connected phases of research, training, creative production, and dissemination. It began with a meeting and workshop in Foggia, Italy, where partners planned the collaboration and explored traditional Southern Italian products. This was followed by research and interviews with local producers in each region - farmers, fishers, and artisans - whose experiences shaped the project’s educational materials.s Partners then developed the digital learning course The Renaissance of Local Food, designed for senior producers and adult learners to use digital tools, ethical marketing, and storytelling to promote sustainable food. A follow-up meeting in Antalya, Türkiye refined the course and highlighted local examples of sustainable agriculture. In parallel, New Arctic Kitchen produced the documentary and videos, featuring stories from Denmark, Italy, Türkiye, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland Islands. The project concluded with the Copenhagen event A Seat at the Table, where results were presented and discussed with chefs, producers, and educators.

The project turned research and collaboration into practical tools for learning and inspiration. It began with national reports from Denmark (focused on Greenland), Italy, and Türkiye, examining sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and how senior producers can share and strengthen local food traditions. Partners then developed and tested the online course The Renaissance of Local Food, teaching digital storytelling, ethical marketing, and online promotion. Sixty participants tested the course, available at www.localfoodmarketing.eu/course. In parallel, the project created seven short videos on themes such as Arctic ingredients, ethical marketing, and intergenerational learning. These were compiled into the documentary, showing how food connects people, culture, and place (www.localfoodmarketing.eu/documentary). The results were presented at A Seat at the Table in Copenhagen, uniting chefs, educators, and producers to discuss how local food and storytelling can inspire sustainable development.