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

Our goal is to improve the profitability of food production, respond to market demand, and simultaneously address climate and environmental impacts. Ensuring the continuity, self-sufficiency, and security of Finnish food production has become increasingly important in recent years. We develop new technologies to meet the needs of primary production and its value chains, and we monitor market operations and the factors influencing them.

We also carry out statutory genetic resource conservation and related research. This statutory work preserves the genetic diversity of species used in primary production and promotes their sustainable use in research, breeding, and education. The conservation of genetic resources in primary production is based on the national genetic resources programme for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2018/11a), which we coordinate. We also maintain endangered fish species and stocks, and produce their roe and fry for continued rearing and stock restoration.

In 2024, we published a synthesis report on energy consumption in Finnish agricultural production. The report showed that total energy use in agriculture has not decreased over the past 15 years, despite a decline in the number of farms. The use of fossil fuels and electricity could be reduced by adopting more energy-efficient production processes, increasing the use of alternative energy sources, and improving the energy efficiency of machinery and equipment.

We also contributed to the implementation of Finland’s new national nutrition recommendations published in 2024. The recommendations from the National Nutrition Council promote a more plant-based diet for both health and environmental reasons. The aim is to increase the consumption of vegetables, berries and fruits, whole grains, legumes, and sustainably caught or farmed fish, while reducing the intake of red meat, processed meat, and salt.

As examples of our work toward SDG 2, we present opportunities for plant-based protein production in Finland, as well as sustainable methods for the production, processing, and consumption of nutritious, diverse, and affordable food in Africa.