Category: News

The ninth international conference of the Association for Agriculture in the Arctic (Circumpolar Agricultural Conference) will be held in Iceland at Hótel Söga 6.-8. October 2016.

The conference will focus on regional production that strengthens dispersed settlements, food production in the Arctic, tourism and innovation that responds to changing circumstances. Special emphasis will be placed on promoting good results that have been achieved in one area and that others can benefit from. A food exhibition organized by the final conference of the NordBio program will be included.

You can register on the conference website, www.caa2016.com. The conference fee is ISK 35,200.

On October 8, there will be a sightseeing tour of the agricultural district with a cultural twist where visitors will get to know Icelandic agriculture.

For further information Ólafur Reykdal at Matís.

Dr. Agne Dobranskyte-Niskota, Research Program Officer, and Sophie Doremus, a lawyer, both from the European Union's Research Executive Agency (REA), visited Matís on 7 September.

The purpose of the visit was to monitor the progress of two Individual Fellowships covered by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Program (MSCA), which are currently underway at Matís. The two projects are on the one hand the projects of Dr. Ásta HE Pétursdóttir called Cross-section of seaweed (SilhouetteOfSeaweed, project no. 656596) and on the other hand the project Dr. Gregory K. Farrant named AstroLakes (project no. 704956).

The day began with a lecture by Dr. Agne Dobranskyte-Niskota and Sophie Doremus, who presented both the REA and MSCA programs. Dr. Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir then gave a lecture and introduced Matís' activities. Ásta and Gregory then introduced themselves and their projects, and then chatted with guests from REA in one-on-one interviews. The day ended with the guests inspecting all of Matís' facilities.

Recently, the Association of Fisheries Companies - SFS - decided to support Matís to work on the project - Nutritional value of marine products: labeling and response - which is an independent continuation of a project on Nutritional value of marine products, which AVS supported in the years 2008-2010. The project aims to strengthen the Icelandic fisheries sector in international competition in demanding markets, especially within the European Economic Area, not least with regard to increased requirements for nutrition labeling.

An agreement was reached on September 8 on the arrangement of the project, signed by Jens Garðar Helgason, chairman of SFS, and Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís.

The project immediately begins to prepare the ground for tomorrow's fisheries so that it can meet the needs of its customers, and it is one of many practical projects that Matís works on and serves the broad interests of the Icelandic fishing industry and prepares the ground for efficient Icelandic fishing. fisheries to the center and market of the future. The recipients of the project's results are the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector.

The project manager at SFS is Steinar Ingi Matthíasson. The project manager of the project at Matís is Ólafur Reykdal

With increased development in aquaculture in the southern Westfjords, interesting side projects with aquaculture are emerging that can contribute to less environmental impact. One of those tasks is to find the appropriate processing of fish that dies in fish farms during the farming season.

There is always something about fish dying in the breeding pens due to wounds, diseases or getting lost in the struggle for survival in the pens for some reason. It is common to estimate that about 4% of the fish's slaughter weight is killed during the rearing period. Most fish die while the fish are small after exposure to the cages, but there is always a risk of declines even if an attempt is made to control them. This fish is unfit for human consumption and as feed for animals and fish for human consumption, but it can be used as feed for fur animals if the fish can be caught as soon as possible after death. Most of the dead fish, however, are not usable in fur animal feed, so the way has been used in this country to bury it as there is no other way available yet.

With increased fire, it is foreseeable that the amount of dead fish will increase in the coming years, so it is urgent to try to find ways to make better use of this raw material than to bury it with the associated costs of storage and transport. In Norway, this raw material has been put in acid to prevent odor problems and since then, digestion and other raw materials have been used as feed for decomposing organisms that break down the raw material. During decomposition, biogas is formed, which consists largely of methane and carbon dioxide as well as other gases, and the biogas is then used for energy production. Therefore, the idea arose to investigate whether the production of biogas from dead fish was feasible in the conditions that are being created in the southern Westfjords.

The project was a collaboration between Fjarðalax, Orkubús Vestfjarðar and Matís and received a grant from the Westfjords Development Fund last winter. The project mapped all possible raw material streams in the southern Westfjords that could be considered for biogas production as well as possible utilization of energy from the plant and possible site selection. Based on the plans for an increase in salmon farming in the southern Westfjords, between 1,200 - 1,600 tonnes of dead fish could be produced within a few years, in addition to other raw materials. The cost of disposing of this fish could run at 40 - 60 million ISK per year based on driving and landfilling in Fíflholt in Mýrar, which is the nearest landfill. The cost of setting up a biogas plant that processes a comparable amount of raw materials could be in the range of 80 - 120 million, but economies of scale greatly determine the cost of biogas plants and their operation.

The project showed that there is a shortage of carbon-rich raw materials to mix with the fish to equalize the ratio of carbon and nitrogen, but for the decomposing organisms the desirable ratio of carbon to nitrogen is about 30. Carbon is obtained from straw, cereals such as barley and vegetables examples are taken. There is a small supply of such raw material in the south of the Westfjords and therefore it would have to be transported elsewhere, such as from breweries or other large users. Therefore, another sector of fish farming could possibly become a beer factory in the south of the Westfjords to get carbon for biogas production.

The project did not assess the cost item or the efficiency of the biogas plant, as there are many uncertainties and therefore it is not possible to analyze this with any accuracy. It is clear, however, that it is worth looking more closely at the idea of a biogas plant with regard to business savings and significant environmental benefits for companies and residents in the southern Westfjords. The Westfjords Development Fund is thanked for its financial support of the project, and the many parties who provided information on various aspects are also thanked for their contribution.

The report can be accessed at Matís website.

For further information Lilja Magnúsdóttir at Matís.

Kunstens mat, Mathantverk / Rannikon ruoka, Artesaaniruoka - The Finnish Open Food Craft Championship takes place in Ekenäs 10.-13. October 2016

Finland holds the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers this year. In light of this, it is ideal to draw attention to the Finnish Food Craft Championship. Both Finnish and Nordic parties have the right to participate, and Icelanders are encouraged to participate.

Registration for participation takes place at the website URL www.novia.fi/mathantverkfm.

The competition is open to everyone and is an ideal place to meet other food craftsmen. In addition to the competition, interested parties are invited to attend specialized courses, visit interesting people in the immediate vicinity of the competition venue and take part in other events. All participants in the competition receive written reviews from the jury. The entry fee for the food craft competition is 30 € (approximately 3900 ISK) for each registered product. It is also possible to contact Jonas Harald by phone +358 (0) 50 548 3400 or Ann-Louise Erlund by phone +358 (0) 44 799 8406 to indicate your interest in participating in the competition or by sending an e-mail to the email address mathantverk2016@novia.fi before the end of the day on 5 September.

Competition categories include dairy products, meat, fish, bread, berries and fruits, vegetable and mushroom product spices, innovation in food crafts, drinks, spices and food sauces, more information on Competition rules can be found here.  

Everyone is allowed to participate in courses and study trips, regardless of the participation in the food craft competition, the registration deadline for participation in those events is 30 September next and it is recommended that those interested register for such participation at the website www.novia.fi/mathantverkfm/anmalan-till-seminarieprogram.

The Finnish Food Craft Championship is organized in a broad collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, the Novia School, as well as the Kunstens Mat project.

MNÍ Food Day 2016 will be held at Hotel Natura on Thursday 20 October. The title of the conference is: The Impact of Food Research in a Changing World and the forthcoming changes in global consumption will be discussed and the importance of education and research in that context.

As usual, "FJÖREGG MNÍ" will be awarded on Food Day for a commendable initiative in the field of food and / or nutrition. Fjöreggið, an Icelandic glass artwork, designed and produced by Gleri in Bergvík, will, as before, be provided with support from the Confederation of Icelandic Industries.

Everyone is free to nominate products or good initiatives of companies, institutions or associations that have shown initiative and excelled in the field of food and / or nutrition and are worthy of competing for the prize. It is important to state the reasons for the nomination.

Members are strongly encouraged to share what they believe is being done well in this area.

Nominations, marked "Fjöregg MNÍ", should be sent to the e-mail address mni@mni.is no later than September 20th.

Matís and the Marine Research Institute - the Marine and Water Research and Consulting Institute in collaboration with the University of Iceland's Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, are advertising for three doctoral students to work on the microbes in the Icelandic Marine Environment (MIME) project funded by the Icelandic Research Center (Rannís).

The following three doctoral projects are in question:

1. Research on microbial diversity in the ocean around Iceland with an emphasis on primitive microorganisms. The student will be located at Matís.
2. Research on genomes and gene expression of microbial genomes in Iceland aims to better understand the physiological response due to changes in environmental factors. The student will be located at Matís.
3. Research on the role of phytoplankton and pico-eukaryotes in the context of microbial diversity and distribution, and their role in marine chemical cycles. The student will be located at the Marine Research Institute - the Marine and Water Research and Consulting Institute.

For more detailed and important information about the positions and how to apply important to read the ad about the positions in whole.

Iceland and the Nordic Council of Ministers convene an international conference on the bioeconomy and the results of the NordBio projects in Harpa 5-6. October 2016.

The title of the conference is: MINDING THE FUTURE. Bioeconomy in a changing Nordic reality.

Speakers include Christine Lang, Chair of the German Bioeconomics Council, Ari Kristinn Jónsson, Rector of Reykjavík University, Lene Lange, Professor of Biochemistry at the Copenhagen University of Technology, Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir, Professor of Environmental and Resource Studies at the University of Iceland, and Bryan Alexander, Futurist and Writer. Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, and Dagfinn Høybråten, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, will deliver an opening speech. The conference will be chaired by Þóra Arnórsdóttir and Stefán Gíslason.   

The conference is held in English and is divided into interactive lectures and seminars.

The agenda of the conference can be approach here.

The participation fee is 15,000. Includes coffee service and lunch. The registration fee will increase to 20,000 on 10 September.

It is important to register participation here.

The conference is the culmination of the NordBio program, a three-year project (2014-2016) on the bioeconomy under the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Under the auspices of NordBio, a broad team of Nordic experts has joined forces and is working on projects that promote the sustainable use of living natural resources. NordBio's goal is to make the Nordic region a leader in the sustainable production and use of living resources in order to reduce waste and promote innovation, a green economy and rural development.

Please forward the email to those who may be interested.                 

We hope to see as many as possible in Harpa on October 5th and 6th.

Recently, the National Audit Office submitted a report for the audit of Matís' annual accounts for the year 2015. The report is without comment and this is the second time this year that Matís receives a good grade in this matter.

In addition to the traditional auditing as required by law, a risk analysis was performed for the financial statements and an analysis was made of the operations and balance sheets for 2015, and it was found that Matis' internal control regarding the financial statements is good.

Accounting processes and procedures are being worked on in collaboration with the National Audit Office, and it is a great competition issue for the company that the operation is in such a way that no comments are made either by domestic auditors or foreign parties who take the company out for collaborative projects. Integrity is of great importance to managers and employees, whether it is integrity in scientific work and research or integrity when it comes to Matís' operations and financial management.

The company's board also regularly monitors the results and interim settlements are prepared regularly throughout the year.

As previously stated, the review was without comment and this is the second time this year that Matís receives a good grade in this matter. This spring, an extensive review was carried out by the European Union regarding all of Matís' financial management when it comes to projects that the company has managed within the framework of the European Research Programs (FP7). That review was not without comment.

For further information Kristinn Kolbeinsson, CFO of Matís.

The prestigious scientific journal Nature, recently published an article on five key issues regarding the development of the bioeconomy. The article is based on the results of a large conference, the Global Bioeconomy Summit, which took place in Berlin in the autumn of 2015, and Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir, Matís' director of solutions and consulting, sat on the conference's steering committee.

A draft was recently published Iceland's bioeconomic policy and has worked on formulating that policy, taking into account the results of the Global Bioeconomy Summit.

The authors of the article in Nature emphasize, among other things, international cooperation and investments in biorefineries. Interested parties can learn more Nature website.

For further information Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir.