Future food policy in Finland

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

14.10.2010 9.53

Press release -

The Government gave a report to the Parliament on Finnish food policy on 14 October 2010. The Government considers it vital to ensure the profitability and competitiveness of the whole Finnish food chain in the new operating environment, which now and in the future is also affected by climate change and increased global competition.

A certified traceability and responsibility system should be created for the Finnish food chain. We must support consumer-oriented research, development and innovation and practical application of the research information. The development of food research should be promoted by encouraging networking, with special emphasis on collaboration among the SMEs.

In the report the Government stresses the importance of ensuring the expertise in the procurement of food and catering services in the public sector and sufficient resources for this. Education on food-related issues, health-promoting food choices and organic and local foods should also be promoted.

Collaboration between the ministries in food policy will be improved. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, together with other ministries, is responsible for the coordination of food issues in the state government.

The report is based on the proposal for a national food strategy. The Prime Minister's Office appointed a steering group to prepare the strategy in November 2009.

The proposal, completed in June 2010, presents visions on food in the future. Successful implementation of the strategy calls for consumer-orientation, joint commitment to turn the food sector into a sector of growth, increased valuation of food and its makers, and new administrative structures for food policy and food issues.

The report lists about 50 measures through which the objectives of the food strategy will be implemented in the near future. The decisions on the financing needed for the implementation will be made later on in the context of the government spending limit and budget processes.

Further information at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Minna-Mari Kaila, State Secretary, tel. +358 (0)40 775 6060
Hanna Mattila, Senior Officer, tel. +358 (0)40 350 1116

The report, proposal for a national food strategy and its background document (in Finnish) are available on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at www.mmm.fi/ruokastrategia