At its best, food is an experience that is connected to the story of its origin and manner of cooking: where the ingredients are from, who made it, and how it was made.
There are 2,860 food ingredient processing companies in Finland, 85% of which are small companies with fewer than 10 employees. Many of them operate in a local market, making products that are based on their area’s ingredients and food culture for all of us. Buying local products supports the local economy, maintains and adds jobs, and promotes the wellbeing of the area and its people in general.
Organic food products are made and marketed in Finland by roughly 450 companies, most of which are bakeries and fruit and berry preparation makers, with milk and meat processing companies also playing a significant role. Retail sales of organic products in 2018 had a share of 2.4% in 2018 according to a Pro Luomu estimate (https://proluomu.fi/en/organic-sales-in-finland-up-by-9-in-2018/). Sales were up by 9 percent compared to the previous year. Consumers’ most significant reasons to buy organic were purity, healthiness, good taste and environmental friendliness.
The natural product business consists of roughly 750 companies, most of which operate in primary production or food manufacturing. Berries are the largest segment – over 15 million kilos of berries are gathered in a good harvest. The forest berry processing chain employs roughly 2,200 people. Natural products continue to have ample opportunities, for instance, healthiness, environmental friendliness and the purity of Finland’s nature are their trump cards.
The National Food Sector Coordination Project supports small and mid-size businesses in developing local food, organic products and natural products.
