How can food help skiers perform at their best while also taking better care of the planet? FIS is partnering with athletes, scientists, and chefs to develop “Food for White Winters”, a pilot program hitting the slopes of the FIS Alpine World Cup in Åre, from 13 to 15 March 2026.
One third of global greenhouse gas emissions can be traced to food production. How we produce food, and what we choose to consume, therefore has a significant impact on our climate footprint. Now, several stakeholders within the Nordic Sustainability Arena, together with FIS and the Åre World Cup, are taking action to inspire more environmentally friendly choices — and hopefully set a new agenda for the future.
– This is about raising the bar – for performance, for sustainability, and for the future of winter sports. It’s encouraging that our World Cup event serves as a testbed where local solutions can inspire global change”, said Olle Danielsson, CEO, World Cup Åre.
Charlotte Kalla, former cross-country skier and Olympic Gold Medalist, said:
– Food for White Winters is something I truly care about. As a skier, I’ve always depended on snow – and on food that gives me the energy to perform. When we choose more locally and sustainably produced food, we’re not only doing something good for our bodies, we’re also reducing the emissions that threaten our white winters. If we in sports lead the way and highlight these smart, local choices, we can help protect the snow of the future together.
Food for White Winters – A Pilot that Could Shape Future Guidelines
As part of the Nordic Sustainability Arena, an annual event to accelerate sustainability within the winter sports community, the ”Food for White Winters” project aims to transform the Alpine World Cup in Sweden into a living laboratory for sustainable nutrition, testing how food can power peak athletic performance while reducing environmental impact. The outcome from Åre is set to inform future FIS sustainability guidelines and inspire adoption across sports, municipalities, schools, and the wider food ecosystem.
Susanna Sieff – FIS Sustainability Director, said:
– Food for White Winters is a pilot with the potential to scale across the FIS ecosystem and beyond. By testing solutions with athletes, teams, and fans, we show that sustainable nutrition is not a niche idea but a practical path for sports organizations. Food fuels athletes, shapes culture, and inspires communities. A single event can demonstrate this integration and spark system-wide change, showing how sport can lead toward healthier, more resilient futures.”
A Project Rooted in Science
The project builds on the EAT-Lancet 2025 report – a scientific framework for a healthy and sustainable food system – and brings together world-leading expertise from Stockholm Resilience Centre, PLATE, SLU, Eldrimner, and local culinary innovators.
PLATE Research Centre runs hands-on innovation labs where science meets the real world. In these labs, researchers, chefs, and food businesses collaborate to design and serve resilient meals—meals that stay within planetary boundaries while being healthy, practical, and delicious. Each PLATE Lab works with high ambitions, turning research into action and carefully balancing taste, cost, logistics, and sustainability to achieve the best possible solutions. The labs not only demonstrate that future-proof food can thrive in high-pressure, commercial settings, but also uncover critical barriers that must be addressed for broader scaling.
Gunhild Stordalen, founder and executive chair of EAT, said:
– Food for White Winters shows how knowledge can become influence, and influence can become impact. By turning the science of the EAT-Lancet Commission into meals that fuel athletes and delight fans, the project proves food can do more than improve performance. It can shape culture, shift systems, and help protect the winters we love. When evidence is made visible, tasty, and shared on a global stage, it creates ripples far beyond sport: driving conversations, building partnerships, and setting new standards for what winning on and off the slopes can mean.
For the first time, athletes, coaches, volunteers, media, and spectators will all be served meals designed to meet both high-performance nutritional needs and staying within planetary boundaries. Researchers will track and compare the environmental footprint of these meals against conventional alternatives.
The goal: To become a leading example that inspires the masses
– Anchoring diets in the best available science is essential if we are to nourish both people and planet. What excites me about Food for White Winters is that it brings this knowledge to life in a joyful, tangible way – working side by side with athletes and winter sports to show how food can fuel performance while staying within the Planetary Boundaries.” said Elin Röös, science director for PLATE and researcher at SLU.
When elite athletes realise that they can eat in a more environmentally sustainable way without compromising their performance, it has the potential to inspire the vast fan base. Their choices can demonstrate that sustainability and sporting excellence are not opposing goals, but powerful allies.
– My hope is to highlight how food can become a true success factor in sport, while at the same time reducing environmental impact and helping to safeguard the environment, the white winters and the alpine sport we love”, said Linda Bakkman, nutrition advisor to the Swedish Olympic Committee and doctor of medical science.
Other Voices from Food for White Winters
Contacts
• Olle Danielsson, CEO World Cup Åre, +46 070 558 33 69, olle@worldcupare.com
• Susanna Sieff, Sustainability Director, communications@fis-ski.com
• Titti Rodling, Strategic Lead, Nordic Sustainability Arena, +46 70 339 2007,
titti@nordicsustainabilityarena.com
Links
World Cup Åre
Nordic Sustainabilty Arena
Stockholm Resilience Centre
EAT
PLATE
Further Reading
Stockholm Resilience Centre: Global EAT Lancet 2025 – Global Food Transformation Needed to Ease Pressure on the Planet and Save Millions of Lives.
About Nordic Sustainability Arena – A Platform for White Winters
The Nordic Sustainability Arena is an annual, international meeting place where sports, research, business, and societal actors come together to contribute to the global climate transition. Through collective efforts, we can strengthen the future of winter sports and demonstrate how the power of events can help preserve snow and winters for future generations. The Nordic Sustainability Arena is grounded in research and acts in alignment with the Global Goals within Planetary Boundaries.
