The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Five research institutes operate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:

Agrifood Research Finland (MTT), the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (RKTL), the Finnish Geodetic Institute (FGI), and Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA.

Agrifood Research Finland was established back in 1898. This research institute conducts research in the fields of biotechnology and food research, animal production research, plant production research, and economic research (mtt.fi).

The institute indicated that R&D work covers 100% of its tasks (Lemola 2009).

Research themes in its 2010 strategy were food, energy, bioeconomics, sustainability, and responsibility (MTT 2010). In addition to research, MTT is responsible for various expert duties related to consultation, testing, and research (mtt.fi). In 2010, its total research funding came to 50.3 million euros, of which 69% was covered by funding from the state budget (OSF 2010b).

In 2010, MTT employed 300 researchers, who produced 182 academic journal articles and 314 publications in other academic forums, such as articles in conference proceedings and edited works (see Tables 3 and 5). Forums for journal articles included Agricultural and Food Science, Animal, and Journal of Dairy Science.

Academic publishing activity came to 1.7 publications per researcher. Publishing in other than academic forums too is active. The researchers made more than 1,000 non-academic publications in 2010, of which over 500 were articles in professional journals. Also common was publishing in MTT’s own publication series (MTT Kasvu, MTT Tiede, MTT Raportti, MTT discussion papers, MTT ELO, Maaseudun tiede, and Suomen maatalous ja maaseutuelinkeinot). Other than academic publishing activity came to 3.5 publications per researcher.

The Finnish Forest Research Institute, founded in 1917, conducts research and generates research information about forest nature and the environment, the various uses of forests, forestry, and the forest cluster (metla.fi). Research and development work covers 100% of the institute’s tasks (Lemola 2009). Among the research programmes at Metla in 2010 were ‘Forest-based enterprise and business activities’, ‘Social impacts of forests’, ‘Structure and function of forest ecosystems’, and ‘Information reserves on forestry and the forest environment’. As a state authority, Metla is responsible for diverse tasks related to forests, such as collecting

statistics, carrying out monitoring and inspection, forests trees’ breeding, and damage diagnostics (metla.fi). Budget funding covered 89% of the institute’s 48.7-million-euro research expenditure in 2010 (OSF 2010b).

In 2010, the research institute employed 379 researchers (see Table 3). It produced 212 articles in academic journals and 237 publications in other academic forums (see Table 5). Among the important publishing forums were Silva Fennica, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, European Journal of Forest Research, Forest Ecology and Management, Plant and Soil, and the Finnish Metsätieteen aikakauskirja. Academic publishing activity averaged 0.9 publications per researcher. Publishing for other than academic audiences is also vital. In all, researchers at Metla produced more than 400 non-academic publications in 2010 (1.1/researcher). These were mainly popular articles and reports in Metla’s own series.

The Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute was established in 1971 (rktl.fi). This institute judged R&D work to account for 56% of its tasks (Lemola 2009). The institute’s main tasks include evaluation, projection, and statistical assessment of fish and game resources. This research institute is also responsible for maintaining the diversity of fish stocks and fostering the economic activities related to fish, game, and reindeer. Its research results may be used in political decision-making related to the planning of management and sustainable use of fish, game, and reindeer resources (rktl.fi). Its total research expenditure in 2010 came to 12.3 million euros. Budget funding covered 73% of the institute’s research activities (OSF 2010b).

In 2010, the research institute employed 85 researchers. These researchers published 78 articles in academic journals and 12 publications in other academic forums (see Tables 3 and 5). Articles were published in such journals as Freshwater Crayfish, Fisheries Management and Ecology, Journal of Fish Biology, and Fisheries Research.

Publishing in more general arenas is also active. On average, researchers made 1.1 academic publications and 2.6 non-academic publications in 2010. In 2015, Agrifood Research Finland, the Finnish Forest Research Institute, and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute will be merged into one research centre for natural resources (Government resolution 2013).

The Finnish Geodetic Institute provides expertise in the area of geodetic research. The institute was established in 1918. This research institute is responsible for nationwide geodetic base measurements and for ensuring solid geodetic, photogrammetric, and spatial data metrology (fgi.fi). Research and

development work covers 100% of the institute’s tasks (Lemola 2009). The research focuses on geodesy, positioning, navigation, cartography, geographic information sciences, photogrammetry, and remote sensing (fgi.fi). There were four strategic research areas in 2010: reference systems, mobile geomatics, spatial data infrastructures, and the changing Earth (FGI 2010). Total research expenditure came to 5.5 million euros in 2010, and budget funding covered 65% of the amount (OSF 2010b).

The research institute employed 66 researchers in 2010, who produced 52 academic journal articles and 32 publications in other academic publishing forums (see Tables 3 and 5). Articles are published in, for example, the journals Remote Sensing, Journal of Geodesy, GPS Solutions, and GPS World. Other academic publications were mainly articles in refereed conference proceedings. Average academic publishing activity per researcher was 1.3 publications and other publishing activity 0.8 per researcher. In 2015, the Geodetic Institute will be merged with parts of the National Land Survey of Finland to form a research centre for metrology (Government resolution 2013).

Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA is a research institute and controlling authority. It was founded in 2006 through the merger of three research institutes operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in the areas of food safety and animal and plant health (evira.fi). Academic research is only one part of this research institute’s activities, and the institute evaluated R&D work as covering only seven per cent of its tasks (Lemola 2009). In addition to research, the research institute is responsible for ensuring and monitoring food safety, promoting animal health and welfare, developing the prerequisites for plant and animal production in collaboration with the food industry, handling diagnostics and analytics pertaining to animal and plant diseases and food safety aimed at greater food safety, operating as a laboratory in diverse fields, conducting risk evaluations and follow-up, and handling risk-related communications (evira.fi). Its total research expenditure in 2010 came to 2.7 million euros, of which 56% was covered with budget funding (OSF 2010b).

In 2010, EVIRA employed 111 researchers, who may work on tasks additional to research. These researchers produced 56 articles in academic journals and 59 publications in other academic forums (see Tables 3 and 5). Journal articles were published mainly in various international journals. Academic publishing activity averaged one publication per researcher and other publishing activity 0.5 per researcher in 2010.