12.10.2026
The food future of the region was envisioned at the Nordic Food Economy Strategy and Development Days
The Northern Food Economy Strategy and Development Days gathered in Oulu from 6 to 7 October 2026 a wide range of actors in food economy, research, education and development to discuss the future of the sector and common development priorities. The aim of the event was to bring together actors in the field to build a shared vision of the future of the food economy in Northern Ostrobothnia and more broadly in Northern Finland.
The first day of the workshop focused on food strategy work in Northern Ostrobothnia. The day started with two introductory speeches: Research Director Tuomas Kuhmonen In his speech, the University of Turku focused on the food system of the future, highlighting the views of young people in particular. After Kuhmonen, the Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry got a voice Elina Ovaskainen, who shared the national food strategy (2040) and gave tips to support provincial work. After introductory remarks, Regional Development Manager Laura Kelhä The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia presented preliminary results of operator interviews conducted in Northern Ostrobothnia. Based on these presentations, the workshop work focused on identifying changes in the operating environment, the region's strengths and future development priorities.
Participants from different parts of the food system were present on both days. The discussion was lively, constructive and rewarding. During the workshop discussions, a wide range of views emerged on issues such as competence, competitiveness, security of supply, innovations, the future of primary production, processing and strengthening cooperation. Participants provided valuable insight to support strategy work.
– I feel that the days were very successful. We have had excellent cooperation with women of the earth and household, and by joining forces we can achieve more. It has been gratifying to see how actively different actors have participated in the strategy work. This reinforces the idea that the topic is important and there is a need for a strategy, says Regional Development Manager Laura Kelhä.
On the second day, the focus was on network work and the construction of practical development measures. The programme of the day focused on cooperation in the northern food and natural products sector, heard about the experiences of the Agri-Food cluster in North Savo and discussed the organisation of the development network and future objectives in relation to regional, national and European food strategies.
The strategy work will now continue with the analysis of extensive data and the work of the North Ostrobothnia Food Economics Working Group. During the autumn, the draft strategy will be refined by means of a broader operator survey, after which the draft to be prepared will be placed on a round of comments and opinions. Strategy work and its different stages are described in the various channels of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia.
Keywords:
county development and financing
