The Finnish Food Authority reports annually on its sustainability and responsibility work. The sustainability report examines the impacts and effectiveness of the Authority’s activities from the perspectives of society, sustainable development, and corporate responsibility. The Finnish Food Authority’s objective is to increase its positive impact (handprint) while reducing its negative impact (footprint). The positive impacts of the Authority’s activities are assessed against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are most relevant to the Finnish Food Authority. The report also presents, through a set of indicators, the achievement of the annual sustainability objectives and the success of their implementation.
The content of the sustainability report is prepared by the Finnish Food Authority’s Sustainable Development Working Group, which consists of experts from the Authority’s different departments. The Management Group of the Finnish Food Authority approves the sustainability report and annually reviews the Authority’s sustainability-related activities and performance.
Responsibility and sustainability are an integral part of the Finnish Food Authority’s core mission, and the Authority plays a significant role in safeguarding security of supply, food production, and natural resources in Finland. We are committed to advancing the global Sustainable Development Goals and have identified those that are most relevant to our operations. In addition, promoting responsibility and sustainability within our own organisation is important to us, for example by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions and by supporting employee well-being and competence development.
Taking sustainability into account and promoting sustainable development is particularly important in challenging times. The Finnish Food Authority’s 2024 operating year began in a financially demanding situation, and the tight fiscal environment led to cooperation negotiations aimed at adjusting operations to available resources. The Authority actively sought savings, including from its premises, and several facility-related projects with partner agencies were underway, particularly concerning the Seinäjoki and Viikki offices. In addition to closely monitoring expenses and reducing costs, revenue funding was strengthened by addressing the deficit in fee-based services. Through active operational and financial adjustment measures, the Authority was able to align its activities largely with the resources available. Employee well-being was supported through regular coaching and development events for all staff, particularly supervisors, as well as through targeted support measures.
In 2024, we continued implementing the Finnish Food Authority’s Sustainable Development Programme by increasing awareness among both our personnel and stakeholders of the Sustainable Development Goals and of our actions that create societal impact. During the summer, we carried out the campaign “A Whole Summer at the Sustainable Dining Table” and communicated about the Authority’s climate and environmental efforts. The Authority also participated in the Low-Carbon Procurement Leadership Academy, where a model was developed for identifying and managing the carbon footprint of the Authority’s procurement activities.
The Authority prepared a new strategy, which was approved in autumn 2024. Implementation measures and further assessments related to the strategy were launched at the end of the year. The values of the new strategy are collaboration, solution orientation, and reliability. During the strategy update process, consideration was also given to how the strategy supports the advancement of sustainable development goals and how sustainability reporting can be better utilised in monitoring the implementation of the strategy in the future.
This Sustainability Report summarises the Finnish Food Authority’s sustainability objectives and activities for 2024. The report focuses on the four main themes of the Sustainable Development Programme and examines the Authority’s footprint and handprint from the perspectives of social, environmental, and economic sustainability. These themes are: Well-being and Competent Personnel, Sustainable Environment and Economy, Customer-Oriented Services as well as Sustainable Research and Development.
Responsibility and sustainability are the responsibility of us all. We will continue this work and further develop our operations in a humane, positive, and inspiring manner that promotes the joy of working, also in the years ahead.
Finnish Food Authority’s Sustainability Handprint 2025
The Finnish Food Authority’s Handprint in Achieving Its Strategic Objectives:
The sustainability handprint describes the Finnish Food Authority’s ability to promote the achievement of sustainable development goals through its core activities. It reflects the positive impacts generated by the Authority’s work for society, public health, animal and plant health, food systems, and the environment.
- We support sustainable food production and the vitality of rural areas.
- The conditions for the production and export of Finnish food products are improving.
- Actors within the food system identify the risks associated with their operations and manage them effectively.
- Consumers receive evidence-based and impartial information to support safe, healthy, and responsible choices.
- The control system is reliable, inspections and controls are appropriately targeted, and the system functions effectively even during disruptions and emergencies.
- We anticipate developments in the situation regarding animal and plant diseases and pests.
- We respond effectively to detected diseases and pests.
Finnish Food Authority’s Sustainability Footprint 2025
The sustainability footprint describes the direct impacts of the Finnish Food Authority’s existence and operations on the society in which it operates. These impacts may be environmental, social, cultural, and economic in nature. In this report, the Finnish Food Authority’s sustainability footprint is examined from the perspectives of social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
Case Examples Related to the Finnish Food Authority’s Sustainability Footprint:
The Finnish Food Authority’s total procurement expenditure in 2025 amounted to €50.9 million, with ICT procurements representing the largest category at €30.65 million. Other major categories included facility-related expenses (€8.55 million), professional and office services (€4.73 million), and materials, supplies and goods (€2.44 million).
According to the procurement carbon footprint calculator produced by Hansel Oy and based on purchase invoice data, the Finnish Food Authority’s carbon footprint in 2025 was 9.40 million CO-ekv.kg. Compared with 2024, emissions decreased by approximately 807,1 tonnes CO2-ekv.kg /7,9 %. The largest emission sources were ICT services (4.16 million CO2-ekv.kg), facility rents (1.63 million CO2-ekv.kg), and other materials, supplies and goods (1.01 million CO2-ekv.kg). These categories account for approximately 70% of the carbon footprint of procurements.
The Finnish Food Authority’s updated travel policy was completed in April 2024 and incorporated the Government Travel Strategy, for example by providing guidance on assessing the need for travel and choosing environmentally friendly modes of transport. Travel is an essential part of the Authority’s operations, including international activities and inspections. However, the establishment of remote working practices in the Authority has also made it possible to participate in various meetings and events remotely, which in turn reduces the Authority’s carbon footprint.
Emissions from travel in 2025 increased compared with 2024. However, it is not possible to participate in all events remotely, in which case official travel should be carried out in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Air travel on shorter routes has been reduced. Emissions arise from longer flights for which there is no alternative mode of travel.
It should be noted that emissions from travel are relatively small overall compared with emissions from procurements.
As remote work became the predominant way of working, the assessment of premises needs continued in 2024. The use of premises was reviewed and changes were already implemented in some locations (for example in Jyväskylä). This improves the efficiency of office space utilisation in general and also supports economic and environmental sustainability through the reduction of the total amount of office space used by individual agencies. The Finnish Food Authority is also reducing its premises by moving increasingly towards shared premises models. In Turku and at the Seinäjoki headquarters, this will take place in 2025, and in Viikki in 2027. Premises are already shared with others in Tampere, Jyväskylä and Pori, among other locations.
A good customer experience also supports sustainable development goals. A good customer experience and customer-oriented services are now among the objectives of almost every public administration organisation. Services designed from a customer-oriented perspective are one of the key ways of supporting an organisation in carrying out its core tasks. Unclear instructions, difficult-to-use online services and, for example, long response times do not promote the implementation of legislation but rather contribute to a perception of excessive bureaucracy.
In 2025, the Finnish Food Authority carried out customer segmentation based on customers’ service needs. In the future, this will make it possible to target services in a more customer-oriented way and identify customers’ needs and expectations regarding the Authority’s services. In the longer term, the segmentation will promote the ease of use of services and reduce customers’ experience of excessive bureaucracy.
Customer satisfaction with online services, which describes the customer orientation of digital services, was 3.16 in 2025 (on a scale from 1 = very dissatisfied to 4 = very satisfied), compared with 3.00 in 2024.