Apetit carried out a carbon footprint study for domestic rapeseed oil. The carbon footprint of the Apetit rapeseed oil sold in PET plastic bottles through retail channels is 2.7 kg CO2 equivalent per kg. Up to 87 per cent of climate impacts are generated by primary production. The relatively high share of primary production in the carbon footprint of rapeseed oil is partly explained by the natural harvest level of oilseed plants. The share of the Kantvik vegetable oil milling plant, i.e. oil processing, in the product’s climate impacts was very small (3 per cent). This is due in particular to the high share of renewable energy resources used at the milling plant and the plant’s energy efficiency. Packaging and bottling account for 10 per cent of the product’s climate impacts. The carbon footprint was also calculated for the Neito rapeseed oil in glass bottles: the carbon footprint of this product was approximately 7 per cent higher. According to the study results, the most significant climate impacts of rapeseed oil during its life cycle come from primary production. Avena, responsible for Apetit Group’s Oilseed Products business, takes part in the RypsiRapsi2025 project, which aims at finding and spreading the best cultivation practices and developing harvest levels. The carbon footprint of domestic rapeseed oil was calculated, as far as possible, using the figures of Apetit’s own value chain, i.e. primary data. Five-year cultivation data were used in the calculation of the climate impacts of domestic rapeseed cultivation. Apetit commissioned the study from the Natural Resources Institute Finland. How the climate impacts of Apetit rapeseed oil arise:

We are updating the material themes of our corporate responsibility - by answering the survey, you can influence Apetit's corporate responsibility actions Apetit is updating the material themes of its corporate responsibility. The material themes determine the key actions and objectives of the Apetit Group's corporate responsibility. It is therefore important for Apetit to hear the views of its stakeholders on what food industry company, which is firmly based on Finnish primary production, should pay particular attention to in its corporate responsibility. Sustainable actions Sustainable actions is one of the strategic choices of Apetit's renewed strategy. During the current year, we have, among other things, developed and implemented environmentally friendly cultivation methods, improved the material efficiency of production and promoted the use of renewable energy sources. By answering the survey, you can influence the emphasis on actions in the Apetit Group's corporate responsibility. We hope for the most comprehensive answers possible so that we can do our best to meet the expectations on Apetit Group's corporate responsibility. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey. The survey is closed. Thank you for answers!

Safety at work plays a significant role at Apetit and is one of the key themes of its personnel strategy. The goal is to reduce occupational accidents to zero and to reduce sickness absences. Safety at work training is organised at all Apetit Group operating locations. In 2019, some 280 Apetit employees took part in safety at work training. In addition to on-site safety training and occupational health and safety days organised at the production plants, topics related to safety at work are regularly covered in Apetit’s online learning environment. The training activities have led to a substantial increase in the number of safety observations, for example. Key measures to develop safety at work include increasing communication about occupational safety, in addition to more systematic safety observation practices and the further development and harmonisation of location-specific occupational health and safety committees. In order to prevent occupational accidents, Apetit regularly updates occupational safety guidelines. In addition, we have improved our know-how in risk evaluation and incident investigation and systematically conducted risk assessments regarding production tasks. In 2019, Apetit continued to offer a reward for days without any incidents at each location.

Apetit’s Räpi experimental farm, located in the Satakunta region, joined the Carbon Action project along with more than a hundred other Finnish farms. Carbon Action promotes the wider adoption of climate-friendly farming practices, helps farmers implement farming practices that sequester carbon and improve soil fertility, and conducts scientific research to verify soil carbon storage. Carbon Action is a joint project by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) and it combines top-level research with work in the field by farmers. Apetit is offering the use of the Räpi experimental farm for the project for a period of five years to promote research, development and practices associated with carbon farming. Apetit has made a Baltic Sea commitment for 2019-2025 Apetit made a Baltic Sea commitment for BSAG for the period 2019-2025. The core purpose of Apetit’s commitment is to generate data that can be used in contract growing especially in improving soil fertility and related to carbon sequestration. The objective is to promote, through Apetit’s contract growers, a sustainable food chain and to commercialise carbon farming methods that help sequester carbon. The commitment has two parts: Apetit will include the best growing practices proven by the carbon pilot in its contract farmers’ farming guidelines and provide training to all of its contract farmers on farming methods that improve soil fertility and carbon sequestration. Apetit will also include the Räpi experimental farm in the research project to promote measures that advance carbon farming. Under the commitment, Apetit will also join the company network of the Carbon Action platform which enables the various parties in the food chain to collaborate and to develop their own operations with regard to carbon farming.

One of the objectives of Apetit’s corporate responsibility programme is to reduce the Group’s carbon dioxide emissions* per production tonne by half by the end of 2022, using the current level as the baseline. This target will be achieved with the help of the bioenergy plant to be built at the Kantvik vegetable oil milling plant. Oil milling is the Group’s most energy-intensive process. The bioenergy plant will replace the current energy solution based on non-renewable fuels, which means it will have a significant impact on CO2 emissions. The bioenergy plant will also make the production facility more self-sufficient with regard to energy. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the bioenergy plant creates the opportunity to make more efficient use of production side streams in energy production. The bioenergy plant can be used to burn byproducts such as the straw waste included in seed deliveries and waste from screening processes. In the future, the steam energy required by the plant will be produced by the bioenergy plant. The plant is scheduled to be completed in the end of 2020. The size of the investment is EUR 5.2 million.   *The calculation of Apetit’s climate impacts is based on the energy consumption of the company’s production plants and the way the energy is generated.

The main purpose of food packaging is to protect the product. Good packaging makes processing easier in the distribution chain, keeps the product fresh, ensures product safety and protects the product, thus preventing food waste. Good packaging also tells the consumer about the product’s content and properties. Plastic is used for food packaging because it is such a versatile material. It is light and durable, which is good for logistics, and it provides excellent protection for many types of products. Around 20 per cent of the packaging material used by Apetit is currently plastic. Roughly half of this material can be reused if it is recycled. For instance, the Apetit Tuorekset containers are recyclable plastic. 70 per cent of their raw material is recycled. Apetit continually improves its packaging to eco-friendlier. Apetit has the following goals for packaging materials made from plastic: to use recyclable packaging materials where possible to increase use of packaging materials made from renewable raw materials where possible to reduce the amount of packaging materials used by making them thinner where possible   New handy bag-in-box packaging for rapeseed oil Apetit has launched a new, handy and easy-to-use bag-in-box rapeseed oil packaging of for professional kitchens. Thanks to a tap, the packaging is easy to use unlike heavy dispensers. The tap also prevents spillage. The packaging is also hygienic and protects the oil from sunlight and oxidation. Its environmentally-friendly corrugated cardboard box is made of 100 per cent recyclable raw material. When empty, the cardboard packaging can be recycled and the bag can be used as energy waste. Compared to conventional plastic dispensers the manufacturing of the bags requires almost 80 per cent lower amount of plastic.

Esa Mäki, CEO: “The net sales and operating profit of Apetit’s continuing operations clearly grew year-on-year. In the Oilseed Products business the result rose to profitable. The result of Food Solutions also improved year-on-year. Net sales and sales volumes increased year-on-year in both businesses. In Food Solutions, sales volumes increased particularly in the Food service channel and exports. In the retail segment, volumes were slightly below than the high level seen in the comparison period. In the Oilseed Products business, market prices have levelled off from the highs seen last year. Investments in product development make sure that Apetit’s product range keeps aligned with the needs of consumers. In March, we launched new snack products in the retail channel, consisting of delicious combinations of vegetables and cheese. We also expanded our range of oven and grill vegetables by introducing a new flavour. Taste and competitive pricing remain key factors in consumers’ purchasing decisions, and we are able to respond to these expectations in our product categories. We strengthen the Apetit brand and have added our Finnish Apetit rapeseed oil to our selection in the Food service channel. Sales volumes increased year-on-year. The food service channel has continued its growth following the decline in sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the export, we have achieved strong growth in sales volumes thanks to our deliveries of peas. We have maintained our stable position among the preferred food choices of Finnish consumers. Cost inflation and the sharp increase in food prices reflect in consumer behaviour. Consumers are trying to decrease food waste and are opting for products in more affordable price categories. We will increase our cultivation area for field vegetables in the upcoming growing season. The number of hectares used for the cultivation of field vegetables by our contract growers will increase particularly for peas, potatoes and carrots. Our contract growing volume for Finnish field vegetables during the upcoming harvest season will be well over 30 million kilograms, using the Responsible Farming method we have developed at Apetit. Our Räpi experimental farm is continuing to develop cultivation methods. In accordance with our strategy, we will focus on promoting the cultivation of domestic pulses during the upcoming harvest season. In addition to peas, the Räpi farm grows chickpeas, among other crops, and the area under cultivation will again grow substantially when compared to the previous year. We were among the signatories to the Carbon Action cooperation network’s statement published in April with the aim of supporting sustainable cultivation methods and promoting regenerative agriculture. Promoting regenerative agriculture can produce benefits for waterways, the environment and farmers. The Räpi experimental farm will cultivate rapeseed in the upcoming harvest season. During this spring, we have made highly visible efforts to promote domestic rapeseed cultivation. In our campaign, which is known as Kaikki kotiinpäin in Finnish, we have sought to remind audiences of the significance of rapeseed with regard to self-sufficiency, as well as their favourable characteristics in crop rotation. The concerns about the declining cultivation areas of domestic rapeseed are real: according to the 2023 cultivation area forecast* of the Finnish Cereal Committee VYR, the area under cultivation for spring rapeseed – which is the most popular oilseed plant in Finland – will decline substantially this season. We hope that farmers will include rapeseed in their cultivation plans. Apetit is a stable buyer of domestic oilseed plants and we want to significantly increase the number of Finnish oilseed products. The new energy solution at the Säkylä frozen foods plant will be deployed during the summer. The energy solution is primarily based on renewable energy sources and heat recovery, and it represents an important step in reducing the climate impacts arising from our energy consumption. During the first months of the year, we conducted a survey** on Finnish consumers’ habits and perceptions concerning frozen vegetables. The results indicate that we are on the right path in many respects. A majority of the respondents felt that frozen foods make it easier to include vegetables in their diet. According to the survey, frozen vegetables are perceived as a very sustainable choice. Frozen vegetables enable anyone to reduce food waste and increase the share of domestic vegetables on their plate all year round.” *VYR: https://www.vyr.fi/fin/ajankohtaista/uutiset/2023/03/kylvoalaennuste-2023 ** The survey sample consisted of 1,000 Finnish consumers between the ages of 18 and 75 who buy frozen vegetables at least a few times a year. Further information and more detailed results are available on Apetit’s website (in Finnish).

Esa Mäki, CEO “Both businesses showed a profit in the third quarter. However, the increase in costs, which has influenced the operations from beginning of the year, still impaired the Q3 result, which was slightly lower than in the comparison period. In Oilseed Products, the result improved from the comparison period. The result for the review period was improved by the transfer some of the higher costs to sales prices. The fact that raw material prices levelled off supported profit performance, but profitability is still impaired by high costs, such as energy and logistics costs. In Food Solutions, both net sales and sales volumes grew in the third quarter especially in the food service sector. In retail trade, sales volumes and net sales remained on a par with the comparison period’s high level. In exports, sales did not reach the comparison period level. A significant factor in the decrease in net sales of exports is the postponement of pea deliveries. In Food Solutions, the effects of the cost inflation have already been transferred to prices, but the price changes will mainly enter into force at the beginning of October. In particular, high energy costs, which had increased from the comparison period, had a negative impact on the result. This harvest season has been successful for Finnish vegetables. The Finnish frozen pea harvest was good in terms of both quantity and quality and also in line with the targets set. The root vegetable harvest season has gone well, too. For instance, the harvest of carrots grown under carrot netting is qualitatively and quantitatively good. We continued our domestic vegetable research and development activities with making the cultivation technique more efficient for chickpeas and cauliflower, among other things. During the research period, chickpeas were collected with pea harvesters for the second time. Based on the lessons learned from the previous harvest season, some changes were made to harvesting, which resulted in positive experiences. Apetit is a stable buyer for domestic rapeseed. We will continue our efforts to increase the cultivation area and harvest size of domestic oilseed plants in Finland. With the higher price level, oilseed plants, well suited to crop rotation, are now an attractive option to farmers also in terms of profitability. According to the September harvest estimate of Natural Resources Institute Finland, the rapeseed harvest in Finland would increase by more than 35 per cent from last year. This increase was definitely needed after the modest oilseed plant harvest in the last year. Nevertheless, the harvest volume is still clearly below the average harvests over the last ten years. Domestic rapeseed oil is valued and in high demand in all sales channels: industry, professional kitchens and retail. The innovative BlackGrain rapeseed ingredient, which is currently in small-scale production, responds to the future global need to increase the availability of plant-based proteins. In our development efforts we have made development in moving the production to an industrial scale. In its corporate responsibility programme, Apetit has committed to reducing its direct emissions by 75 per cent by 2025. The most significant emission reductions are achieved from energy solutions: the introduction of electricity generated with wind power and the Kantvik bioenergy plant, which was commissioned last year. At the Säkylä plant, the goal is to commission the energy solution based on heat recovery and gas produced with bioenergy during the second quarter of 2023. Work on the plot of the Säkylä frozen foods plant have already started, with the aim of having us closer to our ambitious emission reduction target already next year, as scheduled. The new energy solution will reduce the Säkylä plant’s CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent. Our significant investment in the Pudasjärvi frozen pizza plant is completed. At the turn of September-October, frozen pizzas baked with sourdough have arrived in shops from our renewed frozen pizza plant. The delicious frozen pizzas, made in Finland mainly with domestic raw materials, have been welcomed warmly by consumers. With these new high-quality pizzas, we will grow our market share in the significant frozen pizza product category. Our efforts to promote a sustainable food supply chain and improve profitability continues.”

Esa Mäki, CEO: “The net sales of Apetit Group’s continuing operations increased significantly, but profitability was lower than in the comparison period. In Food Solutions, the main challenge from profitability’s perspective was inflation that affects production inputs. In Oilseed Products, significantly increased raw material and logistics costs reduced profitability. However, demand for products in both businesses remained high. The increase in costs continued during the second quarter, and the sales price increases to be made are a response to cost inflation that has already been realised. In Food Solutions, customer price increases will enter into force gradually in late summer and in the autumn. In Oilseed Products, the introduction of higher sales prices will be slower due to agreement structures and the more extensive customer base. There is very good demand for domestic rapeseed oil in all sales channels. The successfulness of the current cultivation when it comes to the availability and price of oilseed plant raw material is significant for our profitability. According to recent surveys, an increasing number of consumers has changed their purchasing behaviour as the price of food has increased. Apetit’s products have a strong position in retail trade as the only Finnish option and market leader of frozen vegetable products, which contributes to safeguarding demand for our products also in the changed circumstances. Apetit’s products are of high quality and have competitive prices. They are also a good match with the prevailing food trends of easier daily life, domestic origin, well-being, plant-based food, and sustainability. The construction of the pizza production line in Pudasjärvi started in May and proceeded as planned during the summer. The approximately EUR 2 million investment was completed in July, and commercial production on the new line started at the beginning of August. New pizzas will be available in shops’ frozen food sections in October. Our goal is to challenge our foreign competitors by baking pizzas with sourdough, using domestic raw materials as much as possible and ensuring the deliciousness with stonebaking. In Säkylä, we have continued investments in production efficiency improvements. The reception of peas at the start of the production line started during the summer. For its part, this eliminates production bottlenecks and improves our opportunities to increase pea production capacity in the future. The harvest expectations for field vegetables are hopeful. The hot weather in early summer did not continue too long for plants, and rainfall has been mainly even throughout the growing season in our cultivation areas. After a couple of weaker years, the pea harvest is also expected to be good. Cooler weather has also contributed to the more even development of peas, which is good for pea quality and the smoothness of production. For oilseed plants, the conditions during the summer growing season have been generally favourable so far. In the Baltic countries, harvesting started on time, and in Finland, main harvesting will probably begin in September a little later than normally. The total cultivation area of rapeseed in Finland increased by approximately 12,000 hectares from the previous year, which contributes to improving the harvest volume forecast.  The divestment of Apetit’s Grain Trade business to Berner was completed at the end of May, and it allows us to focus on growing and developing our processing businesses, meaning the Food Solutions and Oilseed Products businesses. Apetit will continue to cooperate intensively with Berner in purchasing oilseed plant raw material and in increasing the oilseed plant cultivation area and harvest level together with farmers. Apetit’s products promote sustainable eating in many ways. Baltic Sea Fish Patties, to be launched to professional kitchens in August, complement our local fish product selection. Like Baltic Sea Fish Fingers, the product is made of Finnish skinless Baltic herring fillet. The fishing of Baltic herring removes eutrophicating nutrients and algae from waterways. Sustainable food choices do matter!”

The sale of Apetit Group’s Grain Trade business to Berner Oy took place on May 31, 2022. Avena Nordic Grain was responsible for Apetit Group’s Grain Trade and Oilseed Products businesses. As part of the sale, the right to use the Avena name was also transferred to Berner. Avena Nordic Grain Oy new name is Apetit Kasviöljy Oy and its subsidiary Avena Kantvik Oy is now named Apetit Kantvik Oy. The companies form the Apetit Group's Oilseed Products business. The new names have been already registered in the trade register. Both companies’ business ID numbers, invoicing information and phone numbers will remain unchanged. The business has already introduced changes to the e-mail addresses of the personnel of the companies, which now have the format . We continue to purchase domestic oilseeds and develop cultivation together with our partners. We will also import certain amounts of rapeseeds in addition to domestic procurement. This way we can offer our customers decent quantity of high-quality oil products and feeds for their success.

Esa Mäki, CEO: “The significant increase in the prices of production inputs had a negative effect on the profit performance of continuing operations in the first quarter. The profitability of Food Solutions was reduced in particular by higher energy costs. The profitability of Oilseed Products was weighed down by the high costs of raw materials and logistics. Both businesses will continue to transfer the higher costs to sales prices. At the end of December, we announced that Apetit had signed an agreement to sell the Baltic operations of the Grain Trade business to Scandagra Group. The sale concerned the business operations of Avena’s companies in Estonia and Lithuania. The transactions for both companies were completed as planned in March. In connection with these divestments, we decided to close our Latvian company. The Latvian company primarily provided logistics support for wheat and oilseed plants sourced in Lithuania. In March, we announced the sale of the Finnish operations of the Grain Trade business to Berner Ltd. The transaction will be carried out as a business transfer including Avena’s Finnish grain trade business, as well as its grain stocks and port operations in Finland. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter. The completion of the sale is subject to approval by the competition authority. Once completed, the divestment of the Grain Trade business will improve Apetit’s profitability and allow Apetit to focus on the growth and development of its processing businesses, namely the Food Solutions and Oilseed Products businesses. The operating environment and competitive landscape in the Grain Trade business has changed drastically during the past few years. The operating conditions have continuously become increasingly challenging for a company that operates purely as a grain seller. In the upcoming cultivation season, our target for contract growing is the previously established level of just over 30 million kilograms of domestic vegetables. In addition to contract farming, we will continue to implement a number of projects at our experimental farm to seek ways to improve soil fertility and water economy, for example, and to develop the cultivation of various legumes, such as chickpeas, to correspond to the needs of the industry. This will present us with the opportunity to further increase our degree of domestic origin and our self-sufficiency with regard to specialty plants. We will continue our efforts to increase the cultivation area and harvest size of oilseed plants in Finland. Due to the significant increase in the prices of oilseed plants, the profitability of cultivation is at an attractive level from the farmer’s perspective, and there is certain demand for oilseed plant raw material in the Finnish food industry. Highquality rapeseed oil is valued and in high demand in all sales channels: industry, professional kitchens and retail. The BlackGrain rapeseed ingredient, which is currently in small-scale production, responds to the need to increase the availability of plant-based proteins. Our development efforts are focused on moving the production to an industrial scale. Apetit’s corporate responsibility programme sets a target of reducing the CO2 emissions from Apetit’s own operations by 75 per cent by 2025. The most significant emission reductions are achieved from the bioenergy plant completed at the Kantvik vegetable oil milling plant, which became operational last year, and the new energy solution to be deployed in Säkylä. The energy solution at the Säkylä frozen foods plant will use heat-capturing technology and renewable energy to reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by as much as 80 per cent. The new energy solution is scheduled to be deployed in the second quarter of 2023. To date, we have reduced the Group’s emissions by over 50 per cent compared to the baseline year specified in our corporate responsibility programme. Phasing out the use of fossil fuels and having a fixed price for electricity will also significantly reduce the Group’s energy costs in the next few years. In general, Apetit has successfully achieved its goal of ensuring the health and safety of employees and undisrupted operations throughout the food supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sicknessrelated absences caused by the pandemic have significantly increased during the early part of the year. Apetit will continue to promote sustainable food supply chains in a profitable manner.”

Esa Mäki, CEO: “Apetit Group’s net sales in the fourth quarter were at the same level with the comparison period but profitability declined. Towards the end of the year, profitability was weakened especially by the rise in energy costs and the increase in the price of oilseed plant raw materials that had continued since the summer. At the annual level, our operating profit was lower than in the previous year due to the weak profitability of the Grain Trade business. The profitability of the Oilseed Products segment was burdened by the record-high raw material price and increased logistics costs. With regard to the refining margin, the situation will remain challenging early in the year. In Food Solutions, development has been, for the most part, very positive. The retail demand for food remained strong until the end of the year. Demand in the Food Service channel also continued to recover. In food exports, we strengthened our position especially in the Swedish retail sector with new customer relationships. Although the pea harvest fell significantly short of the target, which reduced export volumes towards the end of the year, the total annual value of exports increased by 5 per cent. Profitability improved in all sales channels. Our delivery reliability has also remained at an excellent level. In the Oilseed Products business, we continued our systematic work to commercialise the new rapeseed-based plant protein during the year. The small-scale production of the BlackGrain from Yellow Fields plant protein started in October 2021. The small-scale production enables customers to test BlackGrain in their own product development. At Apetit, BlackGrain was used for the first time in a commercial product in early 2022 as Apetit Vegetable Ball was launched for the HoReCa market.  The Kantvik bioenergy plant was commissioned towards the end of the year. The plant significantly reduces the Group’s CO2 emissions and energy costs. In the bioenergy plant, we can also make full use of production side streams, such as the straw that comes with seeds. The side streams account for about 10 per cent of the total fuel amount. The total value of the investment was approximately EUR 7 million. We have succeeded in improving production efficiency throughout the Kantvik vegetable oil milling plant: records were achieved both in rapeseed milling and in oil refining. Increasing the cultivation of domestic oilseed plants in line with our goal supports our efforts to improve the profitability of the Oilseed Products segment in the new harvest season. In December, Apetit Group’s subsidiary Avena Nordic Grain agreed on selling the Baltic operations of the Grain Trade business to Scandagra Group, which is a leading agriculture company in the Baltic countries. This business transaction is in line with our strategy and will make the Grain Trade business significantly healthier. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first quarter of the year. The changing COVID-19 situation has required us to act flexibly and competently in implementing various exceptional arrangements. Regardless of this all, we have successfully achieved our goal of ensuring the health and safety of our employees and ensuring undisrupted operations throughout the food supply chain. For this, I would like to thank our personnel warmly. In the corporate responsibility programme published in spring 2021, Apetit set targets for every stage of the value chain. An important goal is to reduce the climate impacts of our own operations. In this area, we have identified the impacts of energy consumption as essential. Significant investments in both Kantvik and Säkylä in the use of renewable energy and the development of energy and material efficiency reduce our climate impacts considerably. Put together, they will propel us towards our goal of reducing our own direct CO2 emissions by 75 per cent by 2025.”

Avena is responsible for Apetit's Oilseed Products Business. The company is Finland's most significant producer of vegetable oils and oilseed-based raw materials for feeds. Its oilseed products are manufactured in its oil milling plant in Kirkkonummi, where rapeseed is processed into high-quality products with a very high added value. Avena uses around 90 per cent of the rapeseed grown in Finland in its oil milling plant in Kirkkonummi. The plant’s annual need for rapeseed is nearly 1.5 times higher than the harvest in Finland. For this reason, Avena is systematically seeking to increase rapeseed production in Finland in cooperation with growers and other operators over the long term. A production process of vegetable oils is based on physical minimal processing methods which use 99.9 per cent of the rapeseed to produce oil and rapeseed expellers. This pure and natural method is chemical-free. Through gentle heating, all of the valuable components – such as antioxidants, sterols and vitamins – are extracted more effectively than in cold pressing. Improving the quality of the fats consumed by Finns is in line with the objectives of nutrition commitments. Vegetable-based oils are an integral part of a healthy diet, as they contain soft and unsaturated fats. Rapeseed oil contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.  

The consumer demand for organic food is increasing rapidly.* However, there is a shortage of raw material supply: in spite of the growing market, half of Finnish farmers are not interested in moving into organic farming. This is revealed by the organic farming survey commissioned by Apetit. As a food company specialising in vegetables, Apetit believes in growth of the organic food sector and takes a strategic step by establishing a development programme for organic farming. With its programme, Apetit aims to develop organic farming methods in order to facilitate farmers’ changeover to organic farming and consequently to take organic farming to a whole new level. To develop organic farming, Apetit’s Räpi experimental farm in Köyliö begins to study and develop organic farming as part of Apetit’s proprietary Vastuuviljely (Responsible farming) method. Some of the fields of the experimental farm are turned into fields supporting organic farming. Practical farming problems as obstacles to the organic leap The survey commissioned by Apetit in August 2017 revealed that farmers’ general interest in organic farming has increased from the previous year. Nearly one in four of the farmers responding to Apetit’s survey is interested in moving into organic farming. Nevertheless, for a farmer it is a question of livelihood and often also personal investment and risk. As obstacles to starting organic farming, the farmers list concrete farming problems, such as weed management, insufficiency of know-how or laborious bureaucracy related to organic farming. The farmers also demand that food industry and commerce commit to purchasing organic raw materials and that they receive practical assistance and instructions on succeeding in organic farming. "Our development programme offers help to farmers who wish to move into or towards organic farming. The goal of the programme is to increase the efficiency of organic farming and boost the crops it yields as well as to tackle various challenges related to moving over to organic farming. With this programme, we clear the way for organic vegetables to enter stores in the form of Apetit’s products. We hope that our commitment gives farmers some security", says Anu Ora, Vice President at Apetit. Ora talked about this topic at the organic food event Luomuelintarvikepäivät on 5 October 2017. Apetit introduces to organic farming a similar contract farming model as is used in ordinary farming. Farmers commit to meeting the high quality requirements of the Vastuuviljely (Responsible farming) method in organic farming, too, and in return, they have the security that their crops will be bought in the season. The first Finnish organic frozen products to stores As the first company to do so, Apetit brought Finnish organic frozen vegetables to the stores this autumn. The very first products featuring Finnish organic vegetables were Organic Spinach and Organic Peas. In November, two new favourites will be launched: Apetit Organic Potato & Soup Vegetables and Kotimainen Organic Potato and Onion Mix. “In some areas in Finland, the demand for organic food already exceeds the supply. We believe strongly in growth of the organic food sector in Finland as well as in its export prospects. For the export potential to be realised, the entire food industry and commerce would need to commit to the productisation and sales of organic products. Promoting organic food is recorded in the Government Programme and what is needed now is concrete action. Apetit wants to be a trailblazer in this respect,” Ora says. Product information Apetit Kotimainen Organic Spinach 150 g and Apetit Kotimainen Organic Peas 200 g. The Apetit organic vegetables have been grown at the Vanhakartano organic farm in Köyliö. * In a year (July 2015–June 2016), the sales of organic food increased by 12%. During that period, the retail sales of organic products amounted to approximately EUR 250 million. (Estimate by Pro Luomu on the basis of information collected from retailer groups.) During the same period, the sales of daily consumer goods only increased by 0.3%. (Sales data from the Finnish Grocery Trade Association member companies.) Key survey results A total of 68% of the Finnish farmers who took the recent survey believe that the demand for organic food is increasing among consumers. Furthermore, 44% of them believe that organic farming will become a significant agricultural activity in the future, whereas 25% disagreed on this statement and 30% could not or did not want to express their view on this matter. Of those already involved in organic farming, 49% feel that organic farming is economically more profitable than ordinary farming. Organic food has the potential to become a significant export asset for Finland, believe 46% of Finnish farmers. A total of 48% think that organic farming is a more environmentally friendly way of operating. When questioned about obstacles to starting organic farming, 54% name the difficulty of weed management as the main obstacle, 29% feel that their own know-how is insufficient and 26% think that the bureaucracy related to organic farming is too heavy. When inquired what would facilitate the changeover to organic farming, 43% of the farmers demand that food industry and commerce commit to purchasing organic raw materials over the long term, 42% need practical assistance and 41% demand support during the transition period from ordinary farming to organic farming. When presented with the statement that organic farming is not economically sensible in Finland, 29% of the respondents agreed with the statement, 31% disagreed and 39% could not or did not want to express their view on this matter. One in four responding farmers who are already involved in organic farming believe that organic food will become a permanent trend among consumers.   ** Apetit had TNS Kantar Agri conduct a survey targeted at Finnish farmers of grain, vegetable, fruit, berries and oilseeds. The survey period was 17–30 August 2017. In the analysis phase, the respondent sample was weighted so that it is representative of the Finnish farm structure in terms of the farm size and organic status. The survey’s margin of error is approximately +/-6 percentage points for the entire sample. N=247 responses.

The operations began in 1954 as an experimental farm for Länsi-Suomen Sokeritehdas Oy and they have continued uninterrupted to the present day, with Räpi serving as an experimental farm for Lännen Tehtaat and Apetit. Today, as one of only a few company-owned experimental farms in Finland, it contributes to the development of agricultural expertise in Satakunta. Throughout its history, the Räpi experimental farm has served as a channel through which new plant varieties and cultivation methods enter the Satakunta region. The cultivation methods, plant varieties and focus areas of research have changed over the years. The experimental activities began with experiments related to sugar beet varieties and cultivation methods. They were later expanded to cover many other outdoor crops when Lännen Tehtaat began the contract growing and production of a wide range of frozen vegetables in Säkylä. The research done at Räpi is aimed at anticipating future trends in outdoor crop cultivation. For example, all the plant varieties and cultivation methods selected for use in Apetit’s contract growing are tested at Räpi before their broader implementation. This season, the farm has tested plant varieties, fertiliser use and cultivation methods for peas, swede, parsnip, carrot, spinach, celeriac, sugar beet and other crops. EXPERIMENTATION PROMOTES VEGETABLE QUALITY AND SUSTAINABLE GROWING During the past decade, the research and experimentation at Räpi has been particularly focused on developing a cultivation method that supports a sustainable and environmentally friendly farming ecosystem. The most recently-developed cultivation methods are based on using plant protection measures only when necessary and only to a limited extent. Biological and mechanical solutions are prioritised. Pest control solutions can include, for example, nets that cover crops, and information on pest life cycles and their natural enemies. Similarly, biodegradable covering materials and mechanical uprooting can be used to control weeds. THE DELICIOUS TASTE OF APETIT FROZEN VEGETABLES COMES FROM EXPERT FARMING AND SUPERIOR VARIETIES   The Räpi experimental farm is constantly testing new varieties to find those with the best flavour, texture, nutritional quality and suitability for freezing for use in Apetit products. Apetit’s product development also guides choices related to plant varieties and contract growing. The popularity of Apetit Kotimainen, a product range focused on vegetables grown in Finland, supports introduction of new varieties to contract growing in Finland. A HUB FOR DEVELOPING FINNISH INTEGRATED PRODUCTION EXPERTISE   The results of the research at Räpi experimental farm are used in the development of the Apetit responsible farming method to which all of Apetit’s contract growers are committed. The responsible farming method is used to manage plant-specific cultivation instructions, quality and product safety, and other factors. For example, plant protection measures are only used when necessary and with due consideration. The Räpi experimental farm plays a key role in Apetit’s Responsible Farming method.  The Räpi farm has contributed significantly to development of the Finnish IP (Integrated Production) method. In 2011–2013, it participated in the Varjellen Viljelty project by updating new plant-specific cultivation instructions in response to consumer expectations and regulatory standards.   The Räpi experimental farm cooperates closely with the Pyhäjärvi Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Åbo Akademi University, the Sugar Beet Research Centre of Finland and growers in the Satakunta region. The new knowledge and expertise developed at Räpi is transferred to Apetit’s approximately 100 contract growers in many ways. Those include the Experimental Farm Days event, which promotes the success of agriculture as a livelihood throughout Satakunta. Experimental activities in Räpi: Pea Broad bean Carrot Swede Spinach Cauliflower Potato Sugar beet for the Sugar Beet Research Centre of Finland   ROOTS ON LALLI MANOR LANDS The written history of the Räpi experimental farm began in 1156, when it was part of Lalli Manor.  In 1812, the Kepola country manor was separated from Lalli Manor. More than a century later, in 1917, the Kepola country manor was split into three parts and divided between the owner’s sons. The youngest son, Albert, stayed on as landlord of one of the three parts, which was subsequently named Räpi. After the war, the family’s youngest son, Jaakko Rauanheimo, became the new landlord of the Räpi estate. He held this position until 1954, when he sold the farm to Länsi-Suomen Sokeritehdas Oy, which had been established in Säkylä in the early 1950s.

The development of Järvikalapihvit fish cakes stemmed from finding the right networks and the desire for diverse use of Finnish fish. This led to ecological and delicious fish cakes produced locally from fish caught in Lake Pyhäjärvi. For the time being, the product is only sold to the professional food service sector. The wishes of demanding food professionals and their customers were taken into account in developing the fish cakes. Professional kitchens place a high priority on products being suitable to a wide range of customers, and on good nutritional value. The fish cakes made with lake fish contain no lactose, gluten or soy. They contain high quantities of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Roach is a low-fat, high-protein fish. Although roach and small perch are often considered low-value fish, they were given due respect as a raw material in the development of Järvikalapihvit fish cakes. “We didn’t want to mask the characteristic flavour of these fish, so we developed a straightforward flavour that combines salt, pepper, cream and butter with the taste of the fish itself,” says Hanna Pere, Marketing Manager at Apetit Ammattilaiset. This delicious and environmentally friendly product contributes to more efficient use of Finland’s fish stocks, and offers a different seafood option for food service companies. AN ECOLOGICAL CHOICE The eutrophication of Lake Pyhäjärvi in Säkylä has long been worsened by its large populations of roach and small perch. Both species feed on plankton, which helps reduce the lake’s nutrient load. Lower levels of plankton lead to more algae growth in particular. Local fishermen have managed the fish stock of Lake Pyhäjärvi by catching lower value fish to curb eutrophication and maintain the healthy balance of the lake’s fish population. In the past, fish caught as part of fish stock management were primarily used as animal feed in the fur trade, or thrown away due to the lack of the right kind of value chain to use them as food. This changed when Järvikalaa Nam, a Pyhäjärvi Institute project focussing on the use of lake fish as food, combined the product development efforts of Apetit Ruoka Oy and Jouni Aaltonen, the entrepreneur behind the Kolvaan Kala company. The roach and small perch caught as part of fish stock management are processed into a paste that is then used to produce fish cakes at Apetit’s Säkylä production facility on the shore of Lake Pyhäjärvi.

There are around 1,000 parcels of land currently in use at Apetit’s Räpi experimental farm to study the differences between different varieties of plants used by Apetit, as well as new vegetables to add to the product range. Among the most interesting focuses of new research are broad beans and soybeans. “With broad bean and soybean, our aim is to study the potential of growing new plant protein sources in our region,” says purchasing manager Timo Kaila. In addition to exploring these new frontiers, Räpi farm is also active in studying the characteristics and cultivation requirements of other plants, such as different varieties of peas and carrots. Many of the 1,000 parcels of land in use at Räpi are devoted to sugar beet experiments carried out by Apetit for Sucros. Apetit is set to launch organic products in shops this autumn. Räpi experimental farm is also taking steps related to organic farming. One block of the fields at the form has been assigned to organic farming. “It takes about two years to get a field ready to be formally approved for organic cultivation. During this time, we are growing different varieties in this field to maintain good soil quality. Starting organic farming is a major process that takes a lot of work,” Kaila explains. The results of the research at the Räpi experimental farm are used in developing the Apetit Responsible Farming method, which all of Apetit’s contract growers are committed to applying. The Responsible Farming method is used to manage, among other things, plant-specific cultivation instructions, quality and product safety. For example, plant protection measures are only employed when necessary and with due consideration. The Räpi experimental farm plays a key role in Apetit’s Responsible Farming method. Having been in operation for more than 60 years, Räpi is now one of only a few company-owned experimental farms in Finland.  

Apetit’s frozen peas are frozen within two hours of being shelled. This tight schedule is made possible by the pea fields being close to Apetit’s frozen food production facility in Säkylä. In addition, the entire process is carefully timed. When planning the harvesting of peas, the sowing of different pea varieties is taken into account to ensure uninterrupted harvesting of ripe peas in the summer. The entire summer harvest must not ripen at exactly the same time, so sowing is planned in accordance with the production plant’s freezing capacity. Ripening of the peas and the start of harvesting and shelling is monitored closely and precisely down to the hour. UNIQUE IN FINLAND To plan and predict the start of the pea harvest, Apetit uses Finland’s only tenderometer, an instrument for measuring the hardness of peas. Pea samples are collected from all the plots, and the timing of harvesting is predicted with the help of tenderometer readings. The pea harvesters used by Apetit are also unique in Finland. Manufactured by the UK-based company PMC, they weigh a whopping 25 tonnes each. Apetit owns three pea harvesters, with the newest one having been purchased in 2012. Apetit bought its first self-propelled pea harvester in 1979. HARVESTERS SEPARATE PEAS FROM THEIR PODS The speed at which the harvester moves during shelling is important, as the speed determines the quantity of pea mass and the speed of the threshing drum. The drum and the beaters inside it spin the stalks, opening the pods and moving the peas to the harvester’s hopper. The peas are then transferred to tractors and lorries for transportation to Säkylä for freezing. QUICK AND GENTLE FREEZING Thanks to the detailed harvesting schedule and short distances, the peas go from field to freezer in two hours. This ensures the superior flavour and texture of Finnish frozen peas, and creates a taste of summer in the midst of winter. Gentle blanching and quick freezing in an air blast freezer ensure that the peas have a long shelf life and high nutritional content. The facility produces 10 tonnes of frozen peas per hour. Taking the washing of the production line into account, the daily pea production capacity is 200 tonnes. OUR PEAS ARE RESPONSIBLY GROWN All our pea growers are committed to Apetit’s responsible growing practices, which are based on integrating several different perspectives on improving cultivation and vegetable quality as well as managing environmental impact.  Under Apetit’s responsible growing practices, contract growers use appropriate vegetable-specific and plot-specific cultivation methods to prevent the proliferation of pests and weeds. They also improve crop yields and vegetable quality using methods that are as environmentally friendly as possible, and that cause minimal disturbance to the cultivation ecosystem. Apetit’s range of frozen pea products was expanded in summer 2017 after the first organic crops were harvested.