Introducing South Savo's Organic Products
South Savo – EU’s Best Organic Region 2024
The project brings together organic producers, stores, and food services in South Savo to collaboratively develop communication materials and inform consumers about local organic production.
Collaboration across the entire food chain!
Promoting Organic Awareness
The concrete objectives of the project are to increase marketing skills and consumer awareness of organic products, promote the use of new digital marketing channels, and enhance the recognition and attractiveness of local organic products.
Consumers recognize local organic products.
As a result of the project, food industry operators in South Savo will be aware of South Savo’s award as the EU’s Best Organic Region 2024, and consumers will have seen the related message. Communication materials about local organic products will be available in stores and food services, and the use of organic products will have increased.
Key Actions of the Project
The project’s actions are divided into four interrelated work packages, summarized as follows:
WP1. Communication, formation of action groups, and tasks (2-3/2025)
The project will broadly communicate South Savo’s selection as the EU’s Best Organic Region in 2024, inform about the project’s initiation, and seek organic entrepreneurs, food services, and retail stores, as well as other necessary actors, to participate in the detailed planning of the project’s actions (action groups).
Action groups and tasks:
Organic producers and developers, 5-10 people: Tasked with compiling common marketing messages for South Savo’s organic production in 1-2 workshops.
Retail sector and food services, 10-15 people: Tasked with agreeing on common organic campaign times and practices.
WP2. Implementation of digital marketing channels in communication (2-9/2025)
Company coaching on the use of digital channels (websites, SEO texts, social media): Webinars/workshops on channels and their utilization in marketing sustainability and environmental friendliness, 2-3 events, and 1-2 after pilot implementations to showcase the impact of communication during the pilot phase.
Information on directories related to organic and local food, including the national Aitoja Makuja directory.
WP3. Consumer communication about organic products in South Savo (2-10/2025)
a. Planning of campaign times and materials (graphic designer as a purchased service).
b. Coordination of pilots and collection of feedback.
c. Organization of decision-maker visits, 2 groups, about 15 people per group.
WP4. Dissemination of results and project closure
The project will actively communicate about its activities and results during the project and compile the communication materials developed in the project on the project’s website for free use. Dissemination of results will be done in cooperation with actors in the Lake Finland region and national actors.
The project manager: Taina Harmoinen, taina.harmoinen(at)xamk.fi
South Savo – EU’s Best Organic Region 2024!
South Savo was awarded the title of the EU’s Best Organic Region 2024 at the EU Organic Awards on September 23, 2024. The application highlighted South Savo’s pioneering role in organic production and its extensive, over 40-year-long collaboration in promoting organic farming. This successful cooperation was also emphasized in the EU’s award justification.
The development and current state of organic production in South Savo deserve more public visibility, especially among consumers. The use of the EU Organic Awards 2024 winner logo is regulated and cannot be used in the communication of organic producers, food services, or retailers. However, joint visibility from this prestigious award would be extremely important, increasing consumer interest in organic products and introducing them to local organic products. This visibility would also boost the business of organic producers.
Organic Farming in South Savo
One in ten farmers in South Savo is an organic producer. In 2023, there were 12,400 hectares of organic farmland, making up 18% of the region’s total farmland, compared to the national average of 14%. Organic products were manufactured by 23 companies, and further processing was done on 15 farms. Including other operators like processors and seed packers, there are 220 entities under organic supervision.
South Savo is particularly known for organic vegetable farming and dairy production. In 2023, 56 farms, or 30% of all farms, were involved in organic livestock production. The region accounted for 29% of Finland’s organic carrot area, 44% of organic onion area, and 22% of organic cabbage area. The organic strawberry area is also significant.
A consumer survey conducted in 2023 revealed that 40% of South Savo consumers are willing to buy organic products at least weekly. South Savo has 11 restaurants participating in the Organic Restaurants program, aiming for a 25% organic share in their ingredients.
South Savo is a producer of organic vegetables.
Facts
Tools for Promoting Organic Products and Increasing Business
Info
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