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- Автор: Super User
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Finland is deep north: vast horizons of forests and lakes with revitalising crisp air plus cutting-edge urbanity. Choose summer’s endless light or winter’s eerie frozen magic.
City Lights
Don’t get the idea that the country’s just a backwoods emptiness, though. Vibrant cities stock the southern parts, headed by the capital, Helsinki, a cutting-edge urban space with world-famous design and music scenes. Embraced by the Baltic, it’s an enticing ensemble of modern and stately architecture, island restaurants, and stylish and quirky bars. And complaints about Finnish food are so last century: the ‘new Suomi’ restaurant scene is kicking, with locally foraged flavours to the fore.
Call of the Wild
The Finland you encounter will depend on the season of your visit, but whatever the month, the call of the wilderness is a siren song not to be resisted. There’s something pure in the Finnish air and spirit that’s really vital and exciting; it’s an invitation to get out and active year-round. With vast tracts of forest, speckled by picture-perfect lakes as if an artist had flicked a blue paintbrush at the map, Suomi offers some of Europe’s best hiking, kayaking and canoeing. A fabulous network of national parks has well-marked routes and regularly spaced huts for overnighting. Bears and elk deep in the forests can be observed on nature-watching trips.
Why I Love Finland
By Andy Symington, Writer
My first impression of Finland was a winter one, when snow-hushed forests and Christmastime conviviality made an instant impact. You must come back in summer, everyone said, so I did, for midnight daytime saunas by impossibly picturesque lakes and melt-in-the-mouth fresh berries and potatoes. Fresh air, the Lapland wilderness, the hiking, the wildlife: it's a natural wonderland within an impressively technological modern nation. The real bonus? The Finns, who do their own thing and are much the better for it. Independent, loyal and welcoming – memorable people in an inspirational country. Make it your business to get to know some.
After the Snowfall
Winter, too, has a special charm as snow blankets the pines and lakes freeze over. The best way to banish those frosty subzero temperatures is to get out and active. For starters, there’s great skiing until May. But how about chartering a team of dogs, a posse of reindeer, or a snowmobile for a trek across snowy solitudes, lit by a beautiful, pale winter sun? Catch the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) after your wood-fired sauna and you’ll feel blessed by the universe. Need to cool down? A night in an ice hotel or a session of ice-fishing – drill your own hole – should do the trick.
Summer Days
Finland’s short but reliable sunny season sees the country burst into life. Finns seem to want to suck every last golden drop out of the summer in the hope that it will last them through the long dark winter months, and there’s an explosion of good cheer and optimism. It’s a time for music festivals, art exhibitions, lake cruises, midnight sunshine on convivial beer terraces, lazy days at remote waterside cottages and mouth-watering market produce.
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Super User
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Organic production in Finland
In the recent years, organic production has grown steadily in Finland. Nearly 225000 field hectares – almost 10% out of the total cultivated area – are cultivated organically. There are about 4300 organic farms altogether, slightly more than 800 of them are livestock farms. (year 2015)
Finland produces a significant amount of organic crops, both for foodstuffs and fodder. The most important livestock products are milk, eggs and beef.
The world’s largest area, which is certified for organic wild food collecting, over 12 million hectares of forests and peat bogs, is a Finnish specialty. Most of this area is situated in Lapland, the northern parts of the country. Bilberry and lingonberry are the most important wild foods.
The amount of organic exports is small, only about 10 million euro. The most important exported products are organic oat and the products made of it, such as flakes and flours. About 70% of organic oat is exported. Moreover, Finland exports organic flours made of rye, wheat and potato, as well as bread, wild berries, lactose-free milk and licorice.
Statistics about Finnish organic production & consumption: Organics in Finland 2015 (pdf)
Action plan for Finnish organic sector: More organic – naturally!
Supervision of organic production
Organic production and manufacturing are supervised by the Finnish authorities. The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira steers and the local Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment carry out the monitoring duties.
National organic programme
Finland aims to increase organically cultivated area to 20% of all cultivated land and to diversify the selection of domestic products by 2020. This aim has been documented in the Development Programme for the Organic Product Sector drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
To reach the aim, the subsidies of organic production have been raised, for example. Project funding and PR-campaign are used to increase the awareness of organic products and their demand.
Organic markets
Consumption of organics has increased in Finland during the recent years as the supply has diversified. The market share of organics in the retail is about 1.8%. About 55 % of the organic products sold in Finland are domestic production.
The most popular organic product is organic milk: the share of dairy products is about 15 % of organic retail sales in Finland. Other large product groups are fruits and vegetables, flakes, flours and eggs. Organic consumption is concentrated in the Helsinki city area, where organic products are bought more than in small municipalities. Most organic foodstuffs are bought at ordinary grocery shops.
So far, restaurants use relatively little organics. Less than 1% of wholesales in Horeca sector comes from organic products. The share of organics in the public catering, e.g. in the hospital and daycare kitchens is about 5% of the raw materials used. Public catering uses “Steps to Organics” programme produced by EkoCentria as their tool for developing the supply of organic food.
What is Pro Luomu?
The Finnish Organic Food Association Pro Luomu is an association for the cooperation of actors in the organic sector. Pro Luomu promotes the development of organic production and growth of organic consumption in Finland. The association has over 50 member organizations, which cover different actors of the field: enterprises that produce organic foodstuffs, central corporations, restaurants, farmers’ associations, scientific bodies and information organizations.
Pro Luomu was founded in the spring 2011. It is financed by the government project funding and membership dues.
Pro Luomu is a member of IFOAM EU, the European organisation advocating organic food and farming.
Pro Luomu develops the organic sector by drafting statements and commenting on important current issues. In addition, the association organizes expert seminars and educational events and arranges consumer events with other actors of the field.
Pro Luomu cooperates closely with scientists, administration, the control system of organic production and other actors and interest groups of the field. The value chain working groups for each product groups are essential tools in cooperation. At the moment, there are four working groups for meat, milk, vegetable and Horeca sectors. In the working groups, the experts of each field discuss the problems and solutions of supply and demand for organic goods.
Other actors in organics
Finnish Organic Research Institute (Luomuinsituutti)
Finnish Organic Research Institute (FORI) is a multidisciplinary research organization. The Finnish Organic Research Institute’s expert network operates under the University of Helsinki and Natural Resources Institute Finland Luke. FORI promotes organic food production and consumption throughout the Finnish food chain by the means of research, science communication, education and development projects.
The Finnish Organic Association (Luomuliitto)
The Finnish Organic Association is an interest group representing organic farmers and a member of Pro Luomu. The organization has 13 local associations and private individuals, other associations and business organisations as members.
- Информация о материале
- Автор: Super User
- Категория: Features
SOULCARE - ABOUT US
I, Omar Botha, CEO & Healer of SOULCARE Group have put together a Dynamic, Holistic company that looks after the basic needs of people to create a healthy sustainable world for better Financial, Spiritual, Physical & Emotional Health.
Soulcare is a Group of companies focused on environmental awareness, healthy living, eating and lifestyle. Soulcare offers you the client various sustainable products that will satisfy your basic needs. We encourage the use of natural products and organic produce for a healthier and sustainable environment. The time has come to change the way we look at the future. We have seen so many examples of global climate change, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters all due to pollution, unhealthy living and not taking into consideration the effects that our everyday lives and the decisions that we make on a daily basis, has on our planet.
Life is full of abundance -let's make a change for the better for us and for our future generations. Soulcare Kids, are offering you the client the best organic products for your kid's needs, food, clothing, bedding, toys and a lot more. Soulcare Food, supports organic farming and Healer Omar supplies daily information on nutrition and diet for better health and natural cures for various illnesses and pain. Did you know Prescription drugs cause side effects that look a lot like “aging”. Most drugs cause major cellular damage. They attack the mitochondria, the tiny energy generators in each cell of your body. Healer Omar offers various natural products online for any illness and pain.
EGP (executive golf promotions) started its roots in 1998. The focus was on corporate golf days and golf tours. Successful corporate golf days were put together where the professional businessman, golfer and rugby player had the chance to interact on a social level and to show off their skills on the golf course. From there it developed into getaway packages for golfers and soon Omar realised that there was another market that could be explored in a different way. In 2005 Omar started practising as a Healer and rebranded the company to name it SOULCARE.SOULCARE – Caring for the soul.
From there the name SOULCARE RETREATS.
Meaning: Retreat what you are doing, to recharge and rejuvenate the soul, to fuel the mind and body with renewed energy. Omar Botha believes it is healthier for a human to take regular short breaks to relax and recharge the mind, body and soul than to work oneself to death. If a person works non-stop for too long a period it may cause emotional, physical and mental fatigue that can lead to various illnesses and depression.
Omar believes in Balance and to achieve that he recommends taking time out every 5-6 weeks. Take a day or 2 off form the daily tasks and explore something that you always wanted to do. Today Soulcare Retreats can offer the client various packages from car rental, flights, accommodation, golf tours, cruises and even organic food and wine getaways.
Soulcare Retreats also focus on the corporate market for conferencing and other travel arrangements.
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