Interview with Kjell Peterson

Since 2014, Kjell Peterson has been running Casseroll Foodtruck, a food truck with an extra heart. The idea is simple: 1) Serve good and healthy food made from scratch, from good and natural ingredients 2) Raise money to fight hunger in the poorest parts of the world. The money that Kjell raises has been donated to Oxfam Sweden since the beginning - and now he has raised a total of SEK 150,000. We visited Kjell in Malmö to hear more about his food truck and his commitment to a world without hunger.

We meet Kjell on a sunny day in May. He has set up his food truck in central Malmö, where he serves food to the city's lunch guests.

As Kjell describes it, he has been a food nerd all his life, but never worked professionally with it before. On weekdays he worked in marketing and on weekends he was in the kitchen cooking.

- When I was 55 years old, I decided to change my career. There are two things that drive me: the first is that I want to cook healthy food. We eat so many things that are bad for us, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

"There is something wrong when so many people in the world can't even afford food for the day. And our abundance here at home is linked to the fact that so many people don't have enough in other parts of the world."

Kjell Peterson, Casseroll Foodtruck

- The second is that there is something wrong when so many people in the world can't even afford food for the day. And our abundance here at home is linked to the fact that so many people do not have enough in other parts of the world. I think if we can solve that, we can solve a lot of other things too.

To help, Kjell came up with a simple but effective idea:

- I wanted to contribute to it in some way, and I wanted it to be directly linked to the food I cook and sell. So, for every portion I sell, 5 SEK is donated. This is the average cost of a meal in the world's most vulnerable countries.

"So for every portion I sell, 5 SEK is donated."

Kjell Peterson, Casseroll Foodtruck

What reactions do you usually get?

- I've been doing this for almost 10 years, and I've never had anyone say "can't you lower the price instead?". The most common reaction I get is that people think it's so good. Many regular customers say that this is one of the reasons why they come back.

It is precisely Oxfam that Kjell has chosen to donate the SEK 5 he receives for each portion sold to. We wondered why he chose us.

- When I started this, I first thought I would give the money to the UN World Food Programme, but they only work with states and governments. I looked up different organizations and saw that Oxfam is a stable organization, and that the money really reaches those who need it. The organization also does great work with political influence, but the important thing for me is the clear connection to my food and being able to feed others.

Is there a particular area of the world that you care about?

- The entire African continent is close to my heart. I have been there and seen first-hand how people live there.

At the checkout, there is a map of Skåne where Kjell has marked where the food comes from. He enthusiastically points to the different parts of the map where the different products were grown.

- I make it difficult for myself, I have decided that everything should not only be Swedish, but the ambition is that everything should be produced within 20 miles. Everyone says that we have to eat more locally produced food, and we have a country with all the conditions.

"I make it difficult for myself, I have decided that not only should everything be Swedish, but the ambition is that everything should be produced within 20 miles."

Kjell Peterson, Casseroll Foodtruck

Next to it are a number of diplomas with awards that Kjell has won for his cooking, including a gold in the Nordic Food Crafts Championships, and gold and silver in the Food Crafts Championships. In June 2023, he also received the Sustainable Entrepreneur of the Year award.

There is also a picture with all the symbols of the UN's 28 sustainability goals. Kjell proudly tells us that he works with 6 of them.

- Numbers 1 and 2 are about poverty and hunger, which is where Oxfam comes in. Number 3 is about health and well-being, which is why I cook healthy food from healthy ingredients.

Listen to Kjell talk about the SDGs in the video above.

During the interview, Kjell receives a diploma for raising a total of over SEK 150,000 for Oxfam's work.

How does it feel to have contributed so much money?

- It's really cool. It makes me very happy. It's nice to know that I've made a difference, that it wasn't for nothing.

"It makes me very happy. It's good to know that I have made a difference."

Kjell Peterson, Casseroll Foodtruck

We cannot thank Kjell enough for his incredible commitment to a world without hunger and injustice. Before we head back to Stockholm, we say thank you and goodbye to an inspiring enthusiast from Skåne.