Finland

Agriculture is the foundation of the Finnish food economy. Most of the foodstuffs consumed in Finland are still of domestic origin. Agriculture is an important employer which, together with the rest of the food chain, employs directly or indirectly over 300,000 people. The most significant agricultural products are milk, meat, eggs, cereals and potato. To a growing extent the focus is shifting to the preservation of rural landscape and caring for the environment as public goods produced by agriculture. Because of the changes in the world trade and agricultural policy, a growing share of farmers' income consists of the support payments under the common agricultural policy of the EU or national aid schemes. Product sales represent, however, the major part of agricultural income.