Finnish Organic Reseach Institute (FORI) goes to the grassroots

The objectives of the project are as follows:
1. Increasing the marketing of organic primary production and products in South Savo,
2. Strengthening the collaboration of entrepreneurs in the organic food and farming and within the organic food chain as a whole,
3. Advancing the use of organic raw materials in the public and private food catering, and
4. Increasing the assortment of local and regional organic food products produced in South Savo.



The project consists of four interconnected work packages under the objectives listed above. The main results of the project will be: the visibility of organic primary production in the region increases (e.g. promotion of organic food and farming by the means of organic food fairs in Mikkeli, Finnish Housing Fair in Mikkeli in 2017, promotion videos, brochures and book about organic producers and other actors of organic food chain in South Savo).



In addition, the collaboration within the organic primary production sector as well as in the organic food chain increases, public food catering uses more local organic raw materials and foods in the kitchen and this has positive effects on the local economy. Also the assortment of local and regional organic food products grows, and there will be a variety of visits to organic farms in South Savo available for consumers and professionals of the organic food and farming.



Project partners are University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute (project coordinator), Aalto University School of Business, Small Business Center, Natural Resources Institute Finland and ProAgria in South Savo.



The project is supported by fund coming from South Savo Regional Council (European Regional Development Fund).