Julia Virtanen

Assistant Consultant

“Ever since I was a small kid, I’ve been endlessly interested in the surrounding nature and its diversity. When I was in elementary school, my trips to school became excruciatingly long on rainy days, when I picked up the earthworms that rose from the ground onto the sidewalks, one by one, to protect them from pedestrian traffic. In my agroecology studies, the difficulties of our current food systems and the enormous effects of food production on ecosystems and our society became concrete. There is plenty of work to be done in fields of biodiversity loss and the sustainability of food chains, but the opportunities to achieve responsible and profitable operating models are also huge.

There are many challenges associated with food and its sustainable production, both on national and global level. The effects of production are widespread, and it is inspiring to work on such multidisciplinary issues. At Gaia, I get to fulfill my passion towards a more sustainable future and work together with experienced professionals.”