The futures images and societal impacts of livestock production in Finland (Kotietu)


Main funder

Funder's project number595/03.01.02/2017


Funds granted by main funder (€)

  • 25 000,00


Funding program


Project timetable

Project start date01/01/2018

Project end date31/12/2019


Summary

The future of Finnish livestock production appears to be contradictory. Climate emissions and environmental impacts of livestock production as well as the health risks of consuming red meat have led to the requirements of reducing meat production and consumption. On the other hand, meat consumption in emerging economies is increasing strongly and the progress of climate change hampers the existing main production areas to meet the increased demand. Finland as a fresh water superpower could have an opportunity to respond to this demand with a sustainable production and thus bear a responsibility for global food supply. This project will compile five alternative future scenarios of Finnish livestock production around the year 2040. The basic characters of the future scenarios are as follows: 1) Vegetable Finland (commercial livestock production ceases, Finns will consume vegetable-, fish- and game foods), 2) Environmental Finland (livestock production decreases significantly and serves primarily environmental management), 3) Health conscious Finland (production and consumption of red meat will decrease slightly), 4) Service capability Finland (full self-sufficiency in livestock products primarily serves the security of supply and the balance of the national economy), 5) Livestock Finland (will meet the growing demand of meat exports and the need for forage production area will increase significantly). The arising socioeconomic impacts of the implementation of each scenario will be unfold in four dimensions: 1) the use of arable land and the production impacts (effects on the entire country and major regional area arable land use), 2) environmental impacts (soil, water, biodiversity, landscape, climate), 3) regional economic effects (effects on employment and value addition on the whole country and major regional area), 4) foreign trade effects (effects on the country’s foreign trade: export-import).


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Last updated on 2022-06-07 at 12:40