Dr. Torfi Johannesson
Policy expertise. International cooperation. Practical implementation.
Nordic Insights is an independent consultancy established in 2023 by Dr. Torfi Johannesson. It specialises in agricultural and food policy, food security, sustainable development in the agri-food sector, rural and regional development, and Nordic and European cooperation.
Experience and expertise
Dr. Johannesson has more than twenty years of experience in policy development, public administration, research, international cooperation and project management. His work connects public policy and institutional structures with the practical delivery of programmes and projects.
He has led multidisciplinary and international teams and coordinated cooperation among ministries, public institutions, research organisations and independent experts.
International leadership
From 2021 to 2023, Dr. Johannesson served as Head of Department for Gender Equality, International Cooperation, Natural Resources and Culture at the Nordic Council of Ministers. He had direct responsibility for 24 staff members representing seven nationalities, with responsibilities relating to nine Nordic institutions operating in ten countries.
The department coordinated Nordic governmental cooperation across culture, gender equality and LGBTI affairs, fisheries, agriculture, food and forestry. Its remit also included cooperation with the Baltic countries, the Arctic, neighbouring regions to the east, Canada and the United States.
This experience informs his approach to assignments involving complex institutional arrangements, cooperation across countries and sectors, and multidisciplinary teams. His work in gender equality also supports the integration of gender and broader social considerations into policy, training and capacity building.
Bioeconomy and regional development
From 2016 to 2025, Dr. Johannesson was Policy Area Coordinator for Bioeconomy under the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. He coordinated cooperation among governments, organisations, experts and projects, supporting policy development and aligning activities across sectors and administrative levels.
From 2015 to 2021, he served as Senior Adviser and Team Lead for Bioeconomy and Food at the Nordic Council of Ministers. His responsibilities included managing Nordic, Baltic and EU projects, overseeing funding and reporting relating to the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre, and preparing and coordinating strategic initiatives, including a Nordic bioeconomy strategy.
Earlier roles included Senior Adviser on rural development and agriculture at the Icelandic Ministry of Industries and Innovation, Programme Leader for the West Iceland Innovation Fund, and Associate Professor and Vice Rector for Research at the Agricultural University of Iceland.
Together, these roles provide a strong foundation for training, workshop facilitation, knowledge transfer and communicating complex policy and technical issues to different audiences.
Services for international projects
Nordic Insights can support projects through:
- Policy and institutional analysis.
- Stakeholder and systems mapping.
- Project design, management and coordination.
- Preparation of reports and policy documents.
- Development of training materials and facilitation of workshops.
- Coordination among technical experts and public authorities.
Complementing food-control expertise
For projects involving sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, One Health, veterinary and food-control systems, laboratory networks or market access, Nordic Insights contributes expertise in governance, policy, institutional coordination, capacity building, training, gender mainstreaming and communication.
These services complement the work of technical specialists in animal health, food safety, laboratory operations, surveillance and information systems.
Contact
Dr. Torfi Johannesson
Nordic Insights
Telephone: +45 2969 2933
Email: torfi@nordicinsights.dk
Website: www.nordicinsights.dk