The Finnish Food Authority works for the good of humans, animals and plants, supports the vitality of the agricultural sector, and develops and maintains information systems. The Finnish Food Authority began its operations on 1 January 2019 when the Finnish Food Safety Authority, the Agency for Rural Affairs and part of the IT services of the National Land Survey of Finland were merged into one single Authority. The Authority operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and its head office is located in Seinäjoki. The Finnish Food Authority’s activities cover the entirety of Finland, and the Authority employs almost one thousand experts and professionals in nearly 20 locations.

The Finnish Food Authority

• promotes, monitors and studies the safety and quality of food; the health and wellbeing of animals; plant health; fertiliser products, animal feeds and plant protection products that are used in agricultural and forestry production; and propagating materials i.e. seeds and planting materials

• is responsible for the use of the funds provided by the European Union’s agricultural guarantee and rural development funds in Finland, operates as the EU’s paying agency and monitors the implementation of EU and national grants – farming subsidies, project, entrepreneurship and structural subsidies as well as market subsidies. In addition, the Finnish Food Authority develops and maintains the information systems used in rural business administration, develops online services, maintains and develops the registers used in the field, and also produces information management services for the agencies and departments that operate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as well as other public authorities.