KVARØY ISLAND, Norway — Kvarøy Arctic(pronounced “Kwa-ray”) sustainably raised salmon from Norway’s Arctic Circle, and the James Beard Foundation—a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone—are pleased to announce the first scholarship for women in aquaculture. Applications for the “Women in Aquaculture” scholarship are available to those studying the subject at a college or university in any country, and can be submitted via the James Beard Foundation website starting May 1, 2020.
The annual $10,000 scholarship also includes a paid one-month summer internship on the Kvarøy Arctic farm site in Norway. The recipient can continue their internship each year they are in school, and will be considered for employment upon graduation.
“We finalized arrangements for the scholarship during our inaugural dinner at the James Beard House in February,” says Kvarøy Arctic CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen. “Five of our 23 employees in Norway are women, as are seven of the eight members of our U.S. team. Historically, like the culinary industry, women aren’t well represented in aquaculture. We are hoping to change that by supporting education in the field and with the opportunity to work at our farm.”
“This is only one of two international scholarships available from the James Beard Foundation,” says James Beard Foundation Impact Programs Manager Emily Rothkrug. “We are proud to support the leadership shown by Kvarøy Arctic to develop the first-of-its-kind scholarship for women in aquaculture.”
How to Apply:
Application forms are available digitally at jamesbeard.org/scholarships beginning on May 1, 2020.
All scholarship application materials must be submitted by June 11, 2020. Scholarship winners will be notified in August 2020.
About Kvarøy Arctic
Located on the remote island of Kvarøy in Norway, Kvarøy Arctic was founded in 1976 by fish farming visionary Alf Olsen and his son Geir. They started with 3,000 salmon. Now, Geir’s children—Gjermund Olsen, Håvard Olsen, and Ida Knutsen—together with CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen and a team of 23 people, raise 2 million Atlantic salmon a year in ASC certified sites. Their shared grand vision to maintain responsible farming practices while providing a healthy source of protein for a growing world has led them to set new industry standards in sustainability, with a pioneering feed model and thoughtful leadership in site management and fish health.
Kvarøy Arctic has the merroir of Norway’s cold, clear waters with delicate marine flavors and slight brininess. The fish is available through distributors and in the fresh case at select U.S. Whole Foods Market’s with the designation “Whole Foods Atlantic Farm Raised Salmon—Product of Norway.” It is one of a small number of farm-raised fish certified by the American Heart Association’s® Heart-Check program.
Learn about the heritage of Kvarøy Arctic: KvaroyArctic.com and @KvaroyArctic on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About the James Beard Scholarship Program
Established in 1991, the James Beard Foundation Scholarship Program assists students from across the food community including aspiring and established culinary professionals who plan to further their education at a licensed or accredited culinary school or hospitality institution, college, or university. As of 2020, the Foundation has awarded more than $8.5 million in financial aid to over 2,000 recipients.
About the James Beard Foundation
For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives, with a mission to promote good food for good™. Through the James Beard Awards, unique dining experiences at the James Beard House and around the country, scholarships, hands-on learning, and a variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has built a platform for chefs and asserted the power of gastronomy to drive behavior, culture, and policy change around food. The organization is committed to giving chefs and their colleagues a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. For more information, please visit JamesBeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
