Sustainable and Responsible Food Province

The Sustainable and Responsible Food Province project strengthens and verifies the responsibility work of the food system in South Ostrobothnia. The project focuses on reducing the industry's climate emissions and negative environmental impacts by offering and developing different tools for companies and piloting them. At the same time, the adaptation of the region's food system to climate change and the prevention of risks are promoted. The project is carried out in cooperation by five partner organizations, whose researchers are familiar with climate and responsibility work in the food industry from different perspectives.

In the project, based on the cooperation of partner organizations, a regional network is created. The network promotes the reduction of climate emissions and negative environmental impacts of food chain companies, as well as responsibility work. The concrete task of the network is to monitor the implementation of the climate road map of the food sector in Southern Ostrobothnia and to prepare a regional strategy for adapting the food system to climate change in cooperation with stakeholders. The network also promotes the flow of information within the food system between different actors and industries.

In the project's measures, the local, regional, national and international good practices of sustainability and responsibility work are mapped, and this information is passed on to the pilots and stakeholders involved in the project. With the help of pilots carried out by partner organizations, practical methods are tested for reducing climate emissions, promoting responsibility work and adapting to climate change. In addition to the pilots, the structure of the responsibility strategy of the participating organizations is supported according to emerging needs.

The project is closely linked to the strategic development of the Food Province and the implementation of the Food Province Strategy. It builds a new dimension within the South Ostrobothnia Food Province brand, bringing in the perspective of responsibility related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. In the long term, this improves the competitiveness of food industry operators in the region and reduces climate emissions.

The project is linked to a number of projects promoting circular economy as well as sustainability and responsibility issues in the food system, from primary production to food waste. The project promotes the inclusion of food as part of the circular economy system in such a way that the traditional farm-to-fork thinking deepens and food is seen as part of an economic system where, for example, energy is renewable, nutrients circulate, side streams are utilized in a variety of ways as cascade products and the amount of waste is minimized.

Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto

Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (consortium leader)