Minister Korkeaoja visits China

The official discussions will be followed by signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed to promoted bilateral cooperation in agriculture between Finland and China. The most important issues in the Memorandum concern mechanisation of agriculture and the processing, safety and quality of foodstuffs. The Ministry is accompanied by a business delegation, and the Memorandum also stresses the cooperation between Finnish and Chinese companies.

During the visit Minister Korkeaoja will open a seminar on forest certification in Beijing. China is preparing to introduce a forest certification system of its own. Since the mid-1990s environmental labelling of forestry products has often been required on the international market. Certification shows to the consumers that products have been manufactured from raw material derived from forests that are managed in a sustainable way. In Finland already 95% of the forest area has been certified under the Finnish Forest Certification System FFCS, which has been used for five years.

At the end of the week Minister Korkeaoja visits the Xinjiang Province in Northwest China, where he will meet representatives of the regional administration and learn about agriculture, forestry and food economy of the region. Another purpose of the visit to this province is to introduce Finnish know-how, which is specialised in the practising and mechanisation of agriculture and forestry in adverse natural conditions.

Further information: Senior Officer Kimmo Närhinen, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, phone: +358-(0)9-160 52197, mobile: +358-(0)400-854 838