SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture (2023)

Our goal is to increase the profitability of food production and meet market demand while helping mitigate climate change and environmental impact. The importance of solving the challenges of continuity of Finnish food production, self-sufficiency and the security of supply has increased in recent years. We develop new technologies for primary production and its value chains, and monitor market activities and their underlying factors.

We also carry out statutory activities for genetic resources and conduct research related to genetic resources. The statutory activities for genetic resources maintain the genetic diversity of organisms used in primary production and promote their sustainable use in research, breeding and education. The protection of genetic resources in primary production is based on the National Genetic Resources Programme for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2018/11a) whose implementation we coordinate. We also conserve threatened fish species and fish stocks, and produce their roe and fry for further stocking and restoration.

In January 2023, we published Luke’s food vision 2040, which offers tools for sustainable food production in the future. Finnish food production requires a common development path and mindset to develop it into a system sustainable for the environment, finances and society, as well as into a cornerstone for welfare, safety and security. When the vision was launched, the Ruoka-Areena event was held for food sector representatives to discuss the future of food production.

Based on the food vision, Luke’s recommendations for sustainable development paths for future food production were compiled. They are an example of our activities to advance SDG 2. In addition, we presented the impact of organic production on biodiversity in northern agricultural environments, the potential of phosphorus recycling in crop production and the national programme for genetic resources, which has protected the genetic diversity of crops for 20 years now.