Perceptions matter - fresh boost to Finland’s food country image

Finland’s food country image will be updated together with stakeholders and companies. The aim is to enhance Finland’s food country image so that it stands out and attracts interest and to update the export materials to promote the image.

The work on the update started in a workshop on 14 April, attended by a broad range of food companies and stakeholders. The workshop was facilitated by Inspirans Oy, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The content was designed in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finfood - Finnish Food Information and the Natural Resources Institute Finland. “Collaboration is the key for building a strong food country image and, through this, to increasing exports,” State Secretary Päivi Nerg said as she opened the event.

In the workshop, a particular focus was on the food country images of certain reference countries and how Finland could stand out in this group. During the day, the participants were divided into groups to discuss the strengths and challenges of Finland’s food country image.

A lot of work on this image has been done but the materials are in the platforms of different organisations and are difficult to find. Now they will be updated to respond to today’s needs.

The food country image helps companies in their export operations and attracts tourists. This is why enhancing the image is important as Finland aims to double its food exports.

The workshop on 14 April was part of a more extensive process. In the next step later in spring 2026, strategic partners will be sought through competitive tendering. The mission of the strategic partners will be to identify the key messages in the communication on Finland’s food country image and find effective means to communicate about these so that Finland will become known and stand out in an interesting way in international contexts. The aim is also to bring the updated materials together on a single platform, together with other materials that support Finnish food exports.

The process to update the country image is part of the growth programme for the food sector. Work is done in cooperation with Finfood - Finnish Food Information, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and other stakeholders.