Oslo was once known for it's production of food and clothing. This is now long gone. We aren't the only ones who want to change that. So, we went together with a group of others that share the same simple ideas:
1. We dig and appreciate local creation.
2. We are a clear alternative to industrial mass production.
3. We cultivate quality and have a strong passion for our products and craft.
Why is local production so important? We've summed up our arguments below, but first we want to introduce ourselves.
Villbrygg
Beverages
Villbrygg takes your senses on a journey to nordic nature through a range of seasonal- and experimental “one-off” plant brews. Their drinks are complex, alcohol-free and 100% natural.
www.villbrygg.com
Sandwich brothers
Ice cream
Organic sandwich ice cream made in the middle of town by a group of Norwegian newcomers. Local materials as far as the eye can see. Because we need icy nerves when talking about integration.
www.sandwichbrothers.no
Oslo mikrospinneri
Yarn
At Grini Farm, Pernille spins wool from eastern Norway into yarn. You can't get more local than that! Visit her if you want to experience true craftsmanship up close.
www.oslomikrospinneri.no
Northern Playground
Outdoor wear
NP is constantly thinking of new ways to develop clothing. With projects in Tøyen and Grünerløkka they are showing the world that making top quality wool products in the middle of Oslo is possible.
www.northernplayground.no
Munnvold
Hot sauce
We could all use a little extra spice in our lives. But why buy your sauce from who-knows-where when you can buy homemade hot suace from Groruddalen in Oslo?
www.munnvold.no
Indre Oslo Matforedling
Sausages and cured meats
In the heart of Oslo, Timon and Magnus make the city's best sausages and cured meats. Best as in a) local, b) f*cking good and c) using utility animals who have lived a long and happy life.
www.iomat.no
Ille brød
Bread
Ille brød bakes naturally raised bread with old, original grains farmed and ground by local farmers and millers. Each loaf is made by hand and with lots of love.
www.illebrod.no
ESP
Fashion
Believe it or not, clothing designers with production in Oslo exist. Yep, Elisabeth Stray Pedersen has been a pioneer within Made in Norway clothing production for years, with her own sewing factory in Økern.
www.esp-oslo.no
Bybi
Honey
The bee is a superhero. Period. We are couldn't be more dependent on bees, so we should obviously be eating honey from our local Oslo-bees, right?!
www.bybi.no
Awake by Nine
Fashion redesign
Say goodbye to fast fashion while wearing the city's coolest coat from Awake by Nine. Comfy up in Anine's old curtains and tablecloths turned into high quality fashion garments.
www.awakebynine.no
So why is local production important?
1. Environment: Local production give us tons of opportunities when it comes to sustainability: Fewer traveled miles, implementation of circular economy through reparation (etc.), and less over-production of products we don't need. These are just a few of local production's many positive effects.
2. Proximity to the customer makes good quality: A manufacturer who sells products to their neighbor cares about the product they make. They don't put toxins in the product they sell or the river where they live. Local production gives us better quality, which is good for both people and the environment.
3. Distribution of power and capital: When we purchase a product from China, it is most likely manufactured in a factory with thousands of laborers making extremely low wages, where the only one profiting from the product is the owner of the factory. With local production, we support many small businesses that are owned by many "small" people. This way we spread power and capital throughout the population, instead of placing it with just a few people.
4. Innovation: It's the small (local) companies that most often create innovation and come up with solutions to problems in society. A big company will be concerned with protecting their current revenues by nature, and will therefore have issues with change.
5. Better selection: Many small local producers give us consumers a better and bigger variety of products. We all like that.
6. Fewer intermediaries: With local production one can easily sell a product directly to the customer. This means that the producer is left with a bigger (and fairer) portion of the cake. This also means that the producer can focus on quality without being pressured on price.
7. Transparency: Local production makes it easier for the customer and others to gain insight into production conditions. A producer that has a customer looking over it's shoulder doesn't take shortcuts!
8. Crisis management and preparedness: With dynamic and vibrant production environments, we can act quickly and adapt when a crisis occurs. If the production of essential equipment is localized with few large manufacturers on the other side of the world, we become very vulnerable. This is something many people have experienced this spring. In other words, local production makes used better prepared.
To put it simply, we are just as concerned with the small cheese producer in Bordueax, France, as the cheese producer in Toten, Norway. The point isn't what passport they have. The point is that they are local and can make fantastic products.
Our passion for local production doesn't come from our passion for Oslo or Norway. Our passion for local production comes from our passion for the world!
