Finnish Organic Food Chain - An Activity Theory Approach

Summary

This article tries to find a reason why the Finnish organic food chain has not developed to reach the goals the authorities has set for the production volume and consumption. The reason is not that the organic products would not meet the needs of the consumers, but that the consumers have been left outside the food chain development and the decisions for to the food selection. The criteria to evaluate the stakeholders’ objects and results are only quantitative and financial instead of qualitative and built facing the values of the consumers. According to many research on consumers opinion about organic production and food, people value safety, ecology, health, ethicality and taste. Adding those factors to the evaluation criteria, the food chain would take consumers as co-creators and enable the development to better face the challenges and meet the goals set for the organic food chain.