Development of Organic Food Production in Finland and Finnish Organic Research Institute, FORI

Pirjo Siiskonen, professor, director of FORIWBREN –conference in Novi Sad

25th November 2013

Some features of Finnish Food Chain 1

• Ordinary way of production is dominating (9% of the field area in organic)

• Agricultural production is highly specialized geographically• Food processing is highly developed and concentrated• Retail is concentrated; S and K -chains and supermarkets

are dominating• Both collecting raw materials and delivering food products

have high transport and environmental costs• A lot of food is imported and local and rural economies

grow weaker

Some features of Finnish Food Chain 2

• Higly processed food is popular • Consumers believe in the safety of ordinary food in

generalHowever:• Interest in organic food is increasing among consumers• There is not enough national organic food production• Import of organic food is increasing• There is discussion on local and organic food and the

future of rural economies

Discussion on local and organic food

Local food:• Locally produced, local raw materials, local employment

and local food culture• Way of production either ordinary or organic• No control systemOrganic food:• Environmentally friendly and ethically high level

production• No chemicals or pesticides, no GMO, no irradiation, no

additives• Controlled production

Generality of organic field production in European countries, some figures in 2011

• Austria 19,7 % of the field area

• Sweden 15,4• Estonia 14,8• Switzerland 11,7• Czeck Republic 10,8• Latvia 10,4• Finland 8,2

Some figures on organic production in Finland 2012

• 9% of field area (205 000 ha) in organic production, increase 2011-2012 was 11%

• 4 300 farms in organic production (59 000 farms in all),• 760 animal farms in organic production• The medium size of organic farms 46,4 ha (39,5 in ordinary)• Enterprices processing organic food: 2008: 401, 2012: 624• Share of food markets only 1,6%; increase 2011-2012 however 24%• Share of import 40% • Official targets: 20% of the field area in organic in 2020 and 20% of

public food services in 2020• Local and organic food program was accepted 2013• Organic food promotion by the government since 2012

Some figures on organic production in Finland 2012

• 9% of field area (205 000 ha) in organic production; increase 2011-2012 was 11%

• 4 300 farms in organic production (59 000 farms in all),• 760 animal farms in organic production• The medium size of organic farms 46,4 ha (39,5 in

ordinary)• Enterprices processing organic food: 2008: 401 but 2012: 624• Share of food markets only 1,6%; increase 2011-2012

however 24%• Share of import 40%

Official targets

• Governmental target accepted in 2013: - 20% of the field area in organic production in 2020- 20% of public food services organic in 2020• National program on the promotion of local and

organic food was accepted 2013• Organic food promotion by the government since

2012

Main actors in the field

• Government and the Ministry of Agriculture • Union of Organic Farmers• Farmers´ Union• Pro Luomu• Pro Agria• FORI (Finnish Organic Research Institute)

The institute was founded by University of Helsinki

and Agrifood Research Center MTT

in November 2012.

The institute started 1.1.2013 and its coordination

unit is located in Mikkeli.

MTT

HY + Ruralia

The main idea of the institute is to support the whole food chain

and promote organic food production in Finland by research, science communication, education and

development projects

Finnish Organic Research Institute– research-based information

about organic food and food chain

The values of the institute:Research-based activities

Openness in distributing informationCo-operation and networking

Effectiveness

The activities of the institute

Research

Education

Development

Communi-cation

EntrepreneurshipInternationality

Effectiveness

Main fields of research

Agricultural production

Organic farming

and

Organic food chain and society

Organic food

production

• field production• animal husbandry

• environmental effects

• sustainability

• food sciences• nutrition

• institutions• politics• consumers, markets

environment

Strategic objectives 2013-2016:

1. Reseach on organic food chain and the research funding will be doubled

2. Research is followed by business concepts3. Funding from the Academy of Sciences for research on

organic food chain4. Participation in EU Horizon 2020 -project funding

5. Increase in the amount of doctoral students

Reseach program 2014-2018

• National program• Background in the needs of the food chain and

the food economy• Preparing process has been participatory (all

stakeholders included)• Multidisciplinary (agriculture, biology and

environment, food science, medicine, social and economical sciences)

• Guide for funding

Pietari

Research DirectorsAgricultural production• Dr.Sc.Agr., Dipl. Ing. Agr., docent Winfried Schäfer, Agrifood

Research FinlandEnvironment• Dr., senior researcher Helena Kahiluoto, • AgriFood Research Finland

Food Sciences• Dr., docent

Carina Tikkanen-Kaukanen, UH

Social and Political Sciences• Dr, post doc researcher Minna Mikkola, UH

Steering Committee• Research director Anu Harkki, MTT,

chair• Research director (environment)

Jyrki Aakkula, MTT• Professor, vice dean Juha Helenius, HY• Director Sami Kurki, HY• Professor Johanna Mäkelä, HY• Professor Raija Tahvonen, MTT

Coordination unit in Mikkeli• Pirjo Siiskonen

director, professor

• Jaakko Nuutilaresearch coordinator, M.Sc

• Anne Hytönencommunication planner, M.Sc

Main drivers of organic food production in Finland

• Official objectives accepted by all actors• Governmental support• Role of research is accepted (FORI)• Multi- and interdisciplinarity• Co-operation and Networking of all main

actors

Finnish Organic Resarch Institute

www.luomuinstituutti.fiwww.luomu.fi