2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

ambassadorforthewholemovement

againstfoodwaste.”

With more than 200 projects

launchedoverthelastdecade,Juul

hascertainlymadea difference,and

yetthepositionshenowfindsherself

in,assheapproaches40,isnotsome-

thingsheeverimaginedearlierinher

careerasa graphicdesigner.

“Iwouldnever,everhavebelieved

thatI wouldbedoingthistoday,”she

says,laughing.“I’m not a food person

ora politician.”

T

heseedsofJuul’sactivism

wereplantedveryearlyon

inlife– asa childinSoviet

Russia.Thelate1980ssaw

theriseofMikhailGorbachev,pe-

restroika[restructuring]andglas-

nost[openness].Sovietsocietywas

becomingmoreliberal,butatthe

sametimethecountry was facing an

economiccrisis.

Growingupina Moscowapartment

withherparentsandgrandparents,

Juulexperiencedfirsthandthepri-

vationsbroughtaboutbya systemin

terminaldecline.

“Communismcollapsedandsud-

denlytherewasnofoodinthesuper-

markets,”sherecalls.“Thejokeabout

theRussiansupermarketisthatyou

goinsideandthere’snofood.That’s

whathappenedinthe1980s.My

grandmawastheonewhodidthe

shoppingandlookedafterthehouse-

hold,andI rememberhersayingthat

weshouldn’twasteanythingbecause

wedon’tknowifthere’sgoingtobe

foodtomorrow.

“It’sa scaryfeeling.Morethanonce

shecamebackfromthesupermarket

withnothing.Shedideverythingto

makethefoodlastsowecouldstill

have food on our table. She’s my

Addressingthe

NordicBusiness

Forumon

foodwastein

Helsinki in 2017

PHOTO: NORDIC BUSINESS FORUM

86 April 2020

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