Policy goals regarding the organic sector in Finland

Summary

As a policy impact research, a number of relevant national policy documents were examined in order to clarify justification and proposed measures in support of organic food and their linkage to the sustainability strivings. The implementation of the goals is discussed by considering the published data on the use of organic food within the public catering sector.
Despite the clearly articulated policy aim to increase the use of organic food within the public catering sector as the path breaker, expanding the use of organic food in professional kitchens has proved to be a very slow process. Several reasons are identified in the policy documents. In a sparsely populated country like Finland, the availability and delivery problems are accentuated in addition to the price constraints.
Organic food is largely a political decision, and its adoption requires determined will. With the loose articulation in the policy documents, the municipal authorities are in key position, whether or not organic food is favored. The option for organic food should be considered in formulating food policy as part of the comprehensive municipal development strategies. Attention needs to be paid to the research results dealing with environmental and human wellbeing interpreted in terms of own situation. It is important to involve the local practical actors in developing the food sector by appreciating the caterers’ expertise and the customers’ experiences regarding the various quality aspects.