- Food and agriculture
- Animals and plants
- Forests
- Rural areas
- Rural Development Unit
- Rural development
- Rural policy
- Rural Development Programme
- Leader
- Rural development projects
- Innovations in agriculture and forestry
- Rural entrepreneurship
- Agriculture and the environment
- Natural constraint payments
- Competitiveness of agriculture
- Land use planning in rural areas
- Island policy
- Fisheries
- Wildlife and game
- Water
- Land surveying and spatial information
- Nature and climate
- Bioeconomy and circular economy
- Research and development
- EU and international affairs
Rural Policy
Rural policy aims for a vibrant and prosperous countryside which takes full advantage of its resources. According to the vision for rural policy
- rural areas are an integral element of the Finnish society and our success as a nation
- rural areas encourage enterprise and creativity and offer an environment for good life
- material, social, cultural and ecological base of the countryside is important for the whole of Finland.
To benefit from the strengths of the countryside we must have vibrant rural communities with functioning infrastructure and services. The key objective of the rural policy is to promote the viability of the rural areas and the wellbeing of the people living there.
Finnish rural policy can be divided into a broad and narrow rural policy.
- The broad rural policy is a practice according to which the rural areas and their residents should be taken into account in all actions in the society and different administrative branches.
- The narrow rural policy means the practical instruments employed by the government and society to develop the countryside – such as project funding for rural development.
The rural policy is coordinated by the Rural Policy Council, appointed by the Government for the term 1 May 2016–31 December 2020. Among the tasks of the Rural Policy Council is to improve the structures and practices of rural policy and rural development work on the basis of networks and partnerships and in a way that supports a location-based policy.
Further information
Antonia Husberg, maaseutuylitarkastaja
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ruokaosasto, Maaseudun kehittämisyksikkö Telephone:0295162033 [email protected]