Fazer supports Two Rowing Finns to row 4,800 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean while raising funds for the Baltic Sea
Atlantic Challenge* is a charity rowing competition, which was arranged for the first time in 2013. Thirty-six teams from around the world participate in the race, which this year starts in December 2021 in the Canary Islands and ends in Antigua, in the Caribbean. Fazer is the main food programme partner for one of the participating teams - Two Rowing Finns – supporting the team in its ambitious goal to cross the Atlantic and raise 100,000 euros for the Baltic Sea.
Well-planned food programme fuels 4,800 kilometres rowing race
The team Two Rowing Finns is formed by two experienced Finnish sailors, John Blässar and Markus Mustelin. The team members will throughout the race, estimated to take 40 to 50 days in total, alternate rowing for two hours and resting for two, for 24 hours a day.
One of the key elements in successful performance during the rowing competition is an optimal food programme. Fazer, The Food Experience Company, has the expertise and products to support the performance and the rowers receive nutrition coaching focusing on a regular meal pattern, optimal snacks as well as quality and quantity of carbohydrates.
“Before the race we provide the team members nutrition consulting and help them in planning their food programme. We even develop new products to be consumed to fit the challenging conditions and the nutritional demands of the race. The meal plan for the rowing race will contain Fazer products as breakfasts and snacks, that provide 2/3 of the total daily energy need of 5,000-6,000 kcal per team member. The most important elements of the meals and snacks are high energy-density and ease to prepare and consume while racing. Naturally, meals should also taste good and offer variety in order to support the performance of the rowers,” says Marika Laaksonen, Lead in Health at Fazer Lab, Fazer Group’s research and innovation unit.
Fazer Experience Centre will follow the race and give examples of the rowers’ food programme. Later in the autumn, Fazer Experience will also host a special event, where the food for the demanding race will be packed.
Two Rowing Finns’ target is to raise 100,000 € for the Baltic Sea
Fazer and Two Rowing Finns share a common interest in the Baltic Sea and in activities to restore it. Fazer has always been a forerunner in sustainability and has a long tradition of developing its business in order to decrease the environmental impact of its operations in the Baltic Sea area.
As a significant buyer of grain in the Baltic Sea area, Fazer acknowledges its responsibility to develop sustainable grain cultivation. Fazer has, in cooperation with farmers, crafted a Grain Vision and ten principles of sustainable farming to implement it. The Grain Vision is a part of Fazer’s commitment to the Baltic Sea and its continuous sustainability work. In 2019 Fazer joined the Carbon Action project managed by the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Fazer also supports the recently launched new training for Finnish farmers that aims to make farming more sustainable by promoting the transformation of Finnish farmland from source of carbon into carbon sinks. The free online course was developed in cooperation by the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) and its stakeholder network.
“The objective of our Grain Vision is to reduce the eutrophication of inland waters and the Baltic Sea, to protect biodiversity and the cultivability of soil, as well as minimise the use of chemicals,” explains Sari Sarin, Sustainability Director at Fazer Group. “Our goal is, that by 2025, all grain we use in Finland and Sweden will have been grown in compliance with the principles of sustainable farming,” Sarin continues.
“In close cooperation with Fazer and other partners, John Nurminen Foundation and Keep the Archipelago Tidy association, we want to raise awareness about the critical condition of the Baltic Sea and to encourage people to donate to the protection of the Baltic Sea,” says John Blässar and Markus Mustelin, Two Rowing Finns.
* The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, “the World's Toughest Row”, is a premier event in ocean rowing organized since 2013. The race 2021 starts 13th of December with 36 participating teams of one to five rowers. Over 11 million euros has been raised worldwide for charities over the past six Atlantic rowing competitions.
Further information:
Marika Laaksonen, Lead in Health, marika.laaksonen@fazer.com, tel. +358 (0)50 512 9895
Sari Sarin, Sustainability Director, Fazer Group, sari.sarin@fazer.com, tel. +358 (0)50 599 4980
Markus Mustelin, Two Rowing Finns, markus.mustelin@outlook.com, tel. +358 (0)40 517 5037
Fazer’s media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EET, tel. +358 (0)40 6682 998, media@fazer.com
More information about Fazer’s sustainability approach can be found at:
https://www.fazergroup.com/sustainability/
Read more about Two Rowing Finns: https://tworowingfinns.fi/
Pictures: www.fazergroup.com/fi/medialle - Image bank - Media_Press – Two Rowing Finns
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Fazer Group
Fazer, The Food Experience Company, enables people to enjoy the best moments of their day. In 1891, the young Karl Fazer opened his first café with a mission to make food with a purpose – and a passion to create moments of joy for all the people around him. Shaping the next tastes, traditions and food experiences, Fazer’s vision is Towards Perfect Days. Fazer wants people to experience the Northern Magic it creates and builds on its strong heritage, consumer first approach and innovations to create the sustainable food solutions of the future. The Group focuses on fast-moving consumer goods, operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. In 2020, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.1 billion euros and almost 8,500 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.
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