Norges Bygdekvinnelag (The Norwegian Society of Rural Women) is nominated for Embla for the work the organization does on disseminating knowledge about traditional food and sustainable use of food resources.

The Norwegian Society of Rural Women has status as advisory organization on food traditions in Norway for UNESCO. This is an acknowledgement of the rural women’s competence and for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage that traditional food is. The food traditions they manage are not only interesting for historical reasons, but the knowledge about resource utilization and local raw materials goes straight to the heart of what society needs for sustainable consumption and less food waste.

Through courses and dissemination, they transfer this knowledge to new groups. The local village women’s teams hold courses for schoolchildren, young or adults in making everything from nettle soup to lefse and fish cakes. It is all about passing on the knowledge of local raw materials, techniques, and methods in food preparation. This is intangible cultural heritage, the traditions are transferred from hand to hand.

Bygdekvinnelaget.no