The goal of the program is to produce scientific information and expertise that helps the national and EU administration meet the challenges of a rapidly changing food production sector and an industry that needs to develop competitive food products meeting consumer needs and expectations. The demands of the markets and expectations of consumers are monitored throughout the program. Changes in the industrial operational environment are analyzed to update the program annually and to ensure the relevance of the research targets. The central principle of the program is that the whole value chain is viewed as an integrated process, from the producers up to the consumer.
The key themes of the research program are:
1) Consumer needs and globalizing food markets
2) Healthy, tasty and high-quality food products
3) Diversifying sustainable production
4) Structural changes and the competitiveness of the food sector
The program is based on extensive national and international analyses of the economic and technological environment of Game-, Reindeer- and AquaFood production in Finland and Europe. The program makes use of the results of the Future Foresight Forums jointly organized by Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, national administration on the economy of fisheries and aquaculture, and the reindeer herding and trade industry. The Finnish national strategy for fisheries and aquaculture as well as goals of the main research framework programs in Finland and Europe have been incorporated into establishing the final targets of the program.
The program relies on a wide range of partners and key stakeholders in developing new research methods and in evaluating the quality of research results. National and international networks of research expertise in food production have a key role in the program’s research projects. The program coordinates closely with companies applying the program’s research results, and the program maintains cooperative ties with funding organizations. Within the institute, there is extensive interaction between the program and research units. Integration of partners and stakeholders provides depth in scientific understanding with a multidisciplinary approach.
Program funding is based on several sources. Depending on the client of an individual research project, the funding may originate from a) the governmental budget of FGFRI; b) national funding for research and development (R&D); c) national and EU public funding for game and fisheries (e.g. structural funds); d) national public research funding (e.g. Academy of Finland, TEKES); e) R&D funding (e.g. EU FP6 and FP7) and f) private sector funding. Depending on the source of finance, regulations governing the conduct of research will vary.
Program leader
Asmo Honkanen
FGFRI,
P.O. Box 2 FIN-00791 Helsinki, Finland
Tel. +358 295 327 308
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