Suomalaisen ruokaturvan ulottuvuudet. Sisällönanalyysi ruokaturvasta julkisissa asiakirjoissa

Abstract

There has been wide public debate about global food security over the decades. Academic research has
mainly focused on developing countries, which are most affected by food insecurity. In this context, only
a little attention has been paid to the situation in developed countries like Finland. Contributing to filling
this gap, this article studies how food security is understood and contextualized in Finland. Food security
is explored by the four commonly used dimensions: 1) access, 2) availability, 3) stability (of supply) and 4)
utilization. The research data consists of public reports related to food security as published by the ministries,
organizations and research institutes. The analysis shows that there is a lack of comprehensive food
policy and discussion is sectorally fragmented. According to the results, the access to food is threatened
by the environmental change. Growing income disparities and inequality make the availability of food more
complicated for underprivileged people. Price fluctuations and the centralized structure of Finnish food
retail are negatively affecting food supply and stability. Finally, food utilization refers mainly to public health
issues, but on the other hand, it has strong influences on the whole Finnish food culture as well. As a conclusion,
in the Finnish context political stability and good governance are the key factors for food security.