6.4 The role of agriculture and farm structures
6.4.1 Regional strategies: the changing meaning attributed to agriculture
this sector has increased rapidly), as well as berry production (especially strawberry, which is the most important berry from an economic point of view in the region), bakeries, and fishing. From the perspective of the market, commercial fishing has good potential, since lake fish has in recent years been in demand. Difficult challenges to the development of North Karelian fishery is the weak support for fishing and the small number of professional fishermen involved in this activity (Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaliitto 2011). Another key potential for North Karelian agriculture is (a potential and long‐lasting) increased temperature, which would bring more opportunities concerning the extension of the growing season (Maaseudun Tulevaisuus 29.04.2011d). Last but not least, a MTK staff member (interview 11) claims that “the closeness to St.
Petersburg, which has about 8 million people, is a positive thing since in that region markets and the standard of living are growing, and people demand high quality food”.
6.4.1 Regional strategies: the changing meaning attributed to agriculture
On the basis of the structural changes witnessed by North Karelian agriculture, as well as the increasing opportunities that high quality food can have in national and international markets, an analysis of the regional strategies by the Pohjois‐Karjalan Maakuntaliitto of the last ten years suggests a change in the meaning attributed to agriculture.29 As for the regional strategies, the key words
29 The regional strategies considered are the following: “Maakuntaohjelma (POKAT 2006) Pohjois‐
Karjala hyvästä paremmaksi” (2003), “Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntasuunnitelma 2025” (2005),
“POKAT 2010 Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaohjelma 2007–2013” (2006), “Ruoasta elämys Pohjois‐
“maatalous” (agriculture), and “elintarvike” (food), along with their associated derivatives, have been chosen for analysis. While the former (maatalous) represents the “production” side of the rural/agricultural spectrum, the latter (elintarvike) represents the “consumption” side. On the basis of the empirical data collected, the regional programmes investigated can be divided into three groups. The first group includes the short‐term regional programme 2003–2006 (written in 2003), and the longer term plan 2025 (written in 2005). The second group includes the regional programme 2007–2010 (written in 2006), while the third group includes the two strategies on the food sector (one written in 2007, and the other in 2011), and the two regional strategies, one short term 2011–2014 (written in 2010), and the other one long‐term (also written in 2010).
In the first two regional programmes, where data have been compiled in Table 4, the focus is on the production side of the agricultural/rural spectrum.
Firstly, evidence is shown by the presence of a higher number of keywords devoted to the concept of maatalous and its derivatives rather than to the concept of elintarvike (food) and its associated fields. Secondly, a few key quotations in these two strategic documents highlight not only the ‘productive’ role of agriculture, but also, and most importantly, its links to the landscape with important implications on cultural and natural heritage, housing, and accessibility. In particular, the following quotations describe this point very well:
1) “active agriculture keeps the landscape open and cared for” (Pohjois‐
Karjalan Maakuntaliitto 2003, 72);
2) “the importance of agriculture in North Karelia is still significant.
Agriculture produces raw material for the food industry as well as supports tourism and housing in the region, which are vital to the rural landscape” (Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaliitto 2005, 22);
3) “agriculture and its associated conditions are important not only to rural employment, but also to the maintanance of infrastructure, rural landscape and to the richness and diversity of the cultural and natural heritage” (Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaliitto 2005, 75);
4) “although the meaning of primary production as a source of rural employment has declined, the ability of agriculture to cope with a more competitive market will continue to affect rural development in an important way” (Pohjois‐Karjalan Maakuntaliitto, 2005, 38).
Karjalan elintarvikealan kehittämisohjelma 2007–2010” (2007), “Pohjois‐Karjalan strategia 2030 ‐maakuntasuunnitelma” (2010a), “POKAT 2014 Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaohjelma 2011–2014”
(2010b), and “Tankit Täyteen Pohjois‐Karjalan elintarvikeohjelma 2014” (2011).
Table 4: Number of key words in the first group of regional strategies
Starting from the regional strategy compiled in 2006 (POKAT 2010 – Pohjois‐
Karjalan maakuntaohjelma 2007–2010), the results of which have been compiled below in Table 5, agriculture is mentioned neither in relation to landscape or any longer to cultural heritage. Attention shifts significantly to the concept of
“elintarvike” and its associated derivatives (food sector, food economy, food chain, food cluster, food research, food region, for instance). At the same time, keywords related to maatalous, although still present, almost disappear.
Table 5: Number of key words in the mid-strategy of 2006
North Karelian Regional Programme from good to better (2003) MAATALOUS ELINTARVIKE maatalous (3) elintarvikeklusteri (3)
(food cluster) maatalouspolitiikka (2)
(agricultural policy)
elintarviketalous (food economy) maatalousyrittäjät
(agricultural entrepreneurs)
elintarvike ala (food sector) perusmaatalouden kehittäminen
(development of basic agriculture)
laatuelintarvike (quality food) North Karelian regional development plan 2025 (2005)
maatalous (10) elintarvikeketju (2) (food chain) maatalouspolitiikka (2) elintarviketeollisuus (2)
(food economy) maatalousala (2)
(agricultural sector)
elintarviketoimiala (field of action of food) maataloustuki
(agricultural support) maatalousyrittäjä maataloustuottaja (agricultural producer)
POKAT 2010 – North Karelian region plan 2007–2010 (2006) MAATALOUS ELINTARVIKE maatalousyrittäjyys
(agricultural entrepreneurship)
elintarvike klusteri (7) maatalous (5) elintarvikeala (6) maatalouspolitiikka elintarvike (2)
elintarvikesektori (food sector) elintarviketeollisuus elintarvikestrategia
(food strategy) elintarviketeknologia
(food technology) elintarviketuotanto
(food production)
In regard to the third group of regional strategies written in 2007, 2010, and 2011 (results compiled in Table 6), a few key points need to be discussed. Firstly, the region starts to be defined as “elintarvike maakunta” (the region of food); this term is present in three of the four strategies, as can be seen below in the table.
Culture is associated with food: “North Karelia is a strong food region, which recognizes the traditional food culture. Our region is at the top level in the country both as producer and processor of raw material” (Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaliitto, 2007, 5). It is also noted that future trends are characterized by safe, healthy, and local products; in light of this, North Karelia has good perspectives (Pohjois‐Karjalan Maakuntaliitto, 2010b). Secondly, the Pohjois‐
Karjalan maakuntaliitto (2007, 15) emphasizes that research 30 on food (elintarviketutkimus) should be strenghtened, for instance, by increasing cooperation between research institutes across regional boundaries. Thirdly, two dominant, encompassing key concepts in the regional strategies are
“elintarvikeklusteri” (food cluster) and “elintarvikeketju” (food chain). The Regional Council (2010) explains the concept of food cluster, which, on the basis of its holisticness, replaces the concept of agriculture in providing countryside multifunctionality:
“the meaning of food cluster is both economic as well as ethical. The term is employed in agriculture and processing. It also guarantees the region the availability of clean, domestic, and locally produced food. It invests in the development of agriculture, in supporting dairy farms. In addition, it indirectly affects many other industries, such as transport and tourism. Food clusters have a significant impact on the vitality of rural areas and the balanced development of the entire region” (Pohjois‐
Karjalan Maakuntaliitto, 2010b, 32).
Considering the food chain concept, Pohjois‐Karjalan maakuntaliitto (2011, p. iv) specifies that the food program strategy covers the whole food chain, which includes both food processing and its associated action, as well as basic production. In sum, on the basis of the investigated regional strategies, there has been increasing attention paid to the ‘consumption side’ of the agricultural/rural spectrum. Even though the concept of agriculture is still present in policy documents, the focus is increasingly concentrated on the consumer, rather than the producer.
30 The University of Eastern Finland does not have a department focused on agricultural studies;
however, there has been relevant research both on the production and the consumption side of the agricultural/rural spectrum in North Karelia. In particular, Sireni (1992, 1994, 2002) has written about part‐time farming as a possibility in living in the countryside as well as exclusion and integration dynamics among small farmers of the region; Konttinen (2008) has discussed quality in local food production, Roslakka (2005) organic production, and Mustakangas (2007) diversification of the farming business.
Table 6: Number of key words in the third group of regional strategies
Ruoasta elämys – North Karelian food sector development programme 2007–2010 (2007) MAATALOUS ELINTARVIKE maatalous (6) elintarvikeala (36)
Maatalousyrittäjiä elintarvikemaakunta (food region)
maatalouspolitiikka elintarvikeryhmä (food group)
maataloustuotteet elintarvikeketju elintarvike
elintarviketeollisuus elintarviketutkimus
(food research)
POKAT 2014 Pohjois-Karjalan maakuntaohjelma 2011–2014 (2010) maatalous (6) elintarvikeklusteri (7)
maatalousyrittäjyys elintarvikeala (4)
elintarvike (2) elintarviketuotanto elintarvikestrategia elintarviketeknologia Pohjois-Karjalan strategia 2030 – maakuntasuunnitelma (2010)
maatalous elintarvikeala (6)
elintarvikemaakunta elintarvikeketju elintarviketuotteet elintarvikeyrittäjiät Tankit Täyteen Pohjois-Karjalan elintarvikeohjelma 2014 (2011)
maatalous (4) elintarvikeala (28) maatalousyrittäjiä (2) elintarvikeketju (5)
elintarviketeollisuus (5) elintarvike (3) elintarvikeryhmä (2) elintarvikemaakunta elintarvikesektori elintarvikekilpailu (food competition) elintarvikehankinta (food competition) elintarviketuotanto elintarvikesektori
Along the lines of the recent regional strategic documents by the Regional Council, there is also a strategic document by the Karelian Institute of the University of Eastern Finland, the key institution of the region devoted to regional and rural development. In one of the research fields of the Karelian Institute, “strategies of resilience and resistance in rural areas” (Karjalan tutkimuslaitos 2009, 3), it is stated that one of the research goals are issues related to food. At the national level, in article by Maaseudun Tulevaisuus (18.05.2011c, 6), entitled “MMM:lle uusi nimi?” (A new name for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry?), the Director of Communication of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Väisänen, claims that its name “will be modernized”.
In his opinion, the name of the ministry should emphasize in particular the importance of food. Ministries where the name ‘food’ is used are, for instance, in Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, and Norway. In Sweden there is the Ministry of the Countryside, but in its business lines “countryside”, “food”, and
“animals” can be found. In particular, for the case of Finland, he suggests (as names to be considered) “Food and Countryside Ministry” (ruoka‐ ja maaseutu‐
ministeriö), or “Food and Bioeconomy Ministry” (ruoka‐ ja biotalousministeriö).
On the basis of the above‐discussed role of agriculture as well as rural development, where the dynamics have been explained in the light of a top‐
down led region‐building process, the goals of the next two sections (6.5 and 6.6) are to investigate rural development and agricultural processes in the social, cultural, and economic arena of the LEADER programme.
6.5 LEADER IN NORTH KARELIA: MAIN FEATURES AND