Farmers In Finland Research Articles

Designing precision livestock farming system innovations: A farmer perspective

Precision livestock farming (PLF) is increasingly being suggested as a promising tool for contributing to the sustainable transition of livestock farming as a market system innovation for farm-animal value chains. The innovations of PLF systems are over and above applications aimed at achieving on-farm goals (e.g. improving efficiency and monitoring farm animals), which are well recognised in the existing literature. This paper specifies the new dimensions of PLF systems, including data-sharing with retailers in the chain, with certifiers/control organisations, with other farmers and with market innovators, as well as data governance. Because farmers approach PLF applications that extend beyond on-farm use with reluctance, it is crucial to take farmer preferences into account when designing multi-actor PLF-system innovations. Proceeding from a mixed-method design, this study begins with a literature review and expert interviews, followed by an examination of farmer preferences regarding the architectural-design attributes of a PLF-system innovation. The latter takes the form of a conjoint study based on data obtained from 367 pig and dairy farmers in Finland, the Netherlands and Spain. Results indicate that farmers attach the greatest importance to the governing structure that manages their data, followed by the opportunity to use an on-farm early-warning system to monitor farm animals, and the possibility of sharing the collected data with value-chain actors mainly for purposes of optimising business innovation and certification. A cluster analysis further highlights the importance of finding customised solutions, considering the heterogenous preferences of farmers for PLF-system innovations beyond European borders. These preferences should be considered in the design of multi-actor PLF-system innovations.

Impact of digital technologies on farm operational activities: A case study analysis between Germany and Finland

Digitalization is a fundamental component of the European Commission's (EC) initiative to modernize agriculture, its associated activities, and rural areas within the European Union (EU). Advancements in digitalization, including robots, sensors, drones, global positioning systems (GPS), and online platforms, have created new activities, products, and services, significantly impacting farm operational activities. This study explores the potential future implications of digitalization in livestock farming in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and North Savonia (Finland). The focus will be on examining how digital technologies transform livestock farming practices. The findings highlight the potential benefits of digitalization in improving animal welfare, efficiency, and sustainability, and addressing challenges in the livestock sector. Quantitative instruments were used to assess how implemented digital technologies impact farm activities. In addition, a structured questionnaire with specific questions was created and distributed online to farmers involved in livestock farming. Farmers in both countries reported that the use of digital technologies improved their working conditions, safety and health standards, decision-making processes, and product quality. Farmers in Finland and Germany had different opinions regarding the influence of digitalization on several aspects of farming. Finnish farmers noted a significant impact of digitalization on improving cooperation with other chain actors and access to new markets and financial resources, contrary to farmers in Germany. Digital adoption on farms has a significant impact beyond the farm since it influences decision-making and sustainability outcomes as the food chain becomes more vertically integrated.

On what basis is it agriculture?: A qualitative study of farmers' perceptions of cellular agriculture

Changes in agriculture and food production are essential in a transition towards sustainable food systems. The challenge is to ensure sufficient, healthy and sustainable nutrition for the growing global population with limited natural resources. Current agricultural policies in Western countries favour specialised large-scale farms that are associated with negative impacts on animal welfare, food safety and the environment. One proposed solution for organising sustainable food systems in the future is cellular agriculture, a food production method based on in vitro cell cultivation techniques. However, the impacts of cellular agriculture on livestock farmers have not been extensively studied. This study explores livestock farmers' perceptions of cellular agriculture, as it will potentially impact farming and rural development in the future. The data consists of 22 semi-structured interviews with livestock farmers in Finland. A grounded theory approach and data-led qualitative analysis were used to construct emerging themes from the farmers' perspectives. The results show that the farmers' perceptions of cellular agriculture are multifaceted and interconnected. In the study, six emerging themes were recognised: i) farmers' outlook on cellular agriculture; ii) the role of farmed animals in cellular agriculture; iii) the market potential of cellular agriculture; iv) relationships between conventional and cellular agriculture; v) rural development and vi) support for farmers. The themes reflected the farmers' future projections, the anticipated uncertainties and potential consequences of cellular agriculture, and the drivers for its development. These novel food technologies were identified as being simultaneously a challenge and an opportunity for conventional livestock farmers and rural areas in the future. However, farmers evaluated the short-term potential of cellular agriculture to be implausible or idealistic due to current food system structures and the early state of cellular agriculture technologies.

Climate change opportunities reduce farmers' risk perception: Extension of the value-belief-norm theory in the context of Finnish agriculture.

Global agriculture faces severe challenges due to climate change. For boreal agriculture, climate change might also bring opportunities as the growing season lengthens, if the risks of climate change are managed properly. Agricultural production is a source of greenhouse gases, while agricultural land has also a great possibility to mitigate climate change as a carbon sink. Farmers are the central group for implementing these actions. Their views and beliefs contribute to their corresponding pro-environmental agricultural behavior. This research is based on the theory of value-belief-norm (VBN) as a predictive model of pro-environmental agricultural behavior. We extend the theory by studying how opportunities caused by climate change affect pro-environmental behavior in agriculture and present differences between farmer groups and experiment with the longitudinal possibilities of the theoretical model. Based on the structured survey responses from 4,401 farmers in Finland in 2018 and 2000 responses in 2020, we found that all the elements of VBN theory did help to predict intention for climate change mitigation, among which felt possibility to perform mitigation practices was the strongest predictor while risk perception was rather an unimportant one. Furthermore, opportunities caused directly or indirectly by climate change have an effect on Finnish farmer's implementation of mitigation practices. Therefore, future efforts in agricultural research and policy in Finland should concentrate to bring forth concrete farm-level mitigation practices with proven environmental benefits and the direct and indirect opportunities should be given more attention.

Finnish dairy farmers’ perceptions of justice in the transition to carbon-neutral farming

Environmental and political debate concerning the role of agriculture in sustainability has long been on the agenda. However, owing to climate change, an analysis of the transition to a low-carbon society must also be considered from the perspective of justice. Dairy farming, in particular, faces pressure in this context, when contemplating changing consumer behaviors and reduction in the carbon footprint of dairy products. Accordingly, many dairy farmers are struggling with the profitability and high production costs of farming. This study examines the experiences and perceptions of dairy farmers in Finland. The theoretical background is predicated upon the “just transition” literature. Additionally, recent literature regarding farmers' attitudes and agency, related to climate and environmental change, is utilized. A collaborative, empirical study of the Finnish dairy co-op Valio Ltd.‘s carbon-neutral milk chain program was conducted. The authors interviewed 18 dairy farmers and examined their motivations and barriers to carbon-neutral practices. Their experiences and perceptions of justice, in the context of a carbon-neutral milk chain, were studied. This study elucidates how to shift to carbon-neutral agriculture in such a way that dairy farmers perceive this systemic change as justified and acceptable. The results indicate that from the farmers' perspective, three key justice issues need consideration: 1) profitability of farming, 2) blaming of farmers, and 3) use of agricultural peatlands.

Exploring the link between farmers’ entrepreneurial identities and work wellbeing

Pressure on farmers to behave more ‘entrepreneurial’ is increasing. Psychological and social science research therefore has examined what characterises farmers identifying as entrepreneurs. A previous study in Finland suggested that farmers' self-identities may conflict with the public paradigm describing farmers as entrepreneurs instead of food providers. Different expectations towards farming may cause identity issues and decrease work wellbeing. The present study examines the relationship of work wellbeing and entrepreneurial identification. Utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the theory of Entrepreneurial Identity, the results show that work wellbeing is higher for diversified farmers and rural business owners than for conventional farmers in Finland. Conventional farmers on the other hand experience higher rates of loss of personal control and self-efficacy, indicating that the political strategies for entrepreneurs, diversification and innovativeness, are not applicable to all farmer groups. Entrepreneurs aim for autonomy and personal control which generally may be limited in specialised, subsidy-dependent agricultural production systems. Identity formation processes and how farmers can gain more control over their businesses as well as the limitations of entrepreneurship in the momentary agricultural policy system, should be considered in upcoming policy strategies.

Farmer views on climate change\u2014a longitudinal study of threats, opportunities and action

Any new policy measure aiming to mitigate climate change and support adaptation in agriculture is implemented at the farm scale. This makes a farmer the key actor. This study aimed to understand farmers’ climate change views and reveal how farmers see their role, responsibilities and possibilities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess how various background variables and values associate with farmers’ views in order to have novel and comprehensive on farmers’ perspectives on climate change. Short-term changes in views were studied with a longitudinal framework. In total, 4401 farmers in Finland answered a standardized e-mail survey in spring 2018. A total of 2000 of them responded again in spring 2020. The respondents differed in gender, age, education, farming system, farm type, farm organization, farm size, revenue and region. The farmers were not a uniform group of citizens, and their views on climate change varied widely. For a Nordic, boreal zone country like Finland, climate change will bring not only challenges but also opportunities that may even strengthen the agricultural production. Such a “two-sided coin” causes confusion for farmers as indicated by this study. Climate change–induced risks often dominate the public dialogue with farmers. This study emphasizes the need for better balance between risks and opportunities not only in the dialogue with farmers but also with policy makers and all public discussion. Acknowledging farmers’ views in planning the future climate policies for agricultural sector is elemental to ensure success in farm-scale implementation.

Determinants of Good Work Ability among Organic and Conventional Farmers in Finland.

Based on earlier studies, farmers have poorer work ability compared to workers in most other occupations. The aim of this study was to explore if organic production has a positive effect on producers' work ability while controlling for demographic and production characteristics. This study used telephone interview data collected by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in 2014-2015. The material consisted of 2,164 farmers: 231 in organic production and 1,933 in conventional production. Work ability was measured with a single question regarding the farmers' current work ability compared with their lifetime best on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 meaning unable to work. The data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Organic production had a negative effect on work ability, while larger farm size, experiencing economic uncertainty rarely/never/occasionally (vs. often), age under 55 years, having occupational health coverage, and experiencing low amounts of physical strain or mental strain had positive effects in a multivariable model. While this study could not consider potential biases from the farmers' existing health status at the time of switching to organic production and other sources, it is clear that greater attention needs to be paid to improving worker health, safety, and wellness in organic farming.

Exploring cultural acceptability of a hypothetical results-based agri-environment payment for grassland biodiversity

Results-oriented payment approaches are a means to deliver ecological results in agri-environment schemes. The results-based approach requires that farmers understand the meaning of the expected ecological results, and the approach and goals should be culturally acceptable. We interviewed 20 farmers in Finland about a hypothetical results-based payment scheme for biodiversity conservation that builds on an existing grassland fallow scheme. We explored i) how the ‘managing for nature values’ approach fits with ‘good farming’ ideal, ii) whether farmers would be able to operationalize ecological results, for which they would be rewarded, and iii) whether the results-based payment approach enhances or dilutes the current ‘good farmer’ ideal held by the farmers. We used ‘good farming’, cultural scripts, and the visibility of nature to farmers to explore these questions. The ‘tidy farm’ cultural script dominated, but farmers also described their farms as having space for non-production elements. Visibility of nature to farmers varied, field visits with farmer and researchers together resulted in increased enthusiasm for farmers seeing biodiversity as an outcome that they can produce. The grassland fallow fits farmers’ conceptualisations of ‘good farming’, and the results-based payment approach is culturally acceptable. Farmers’ activities show nature values have a place in their conceptualisation of ‘good farming’. We identified four categories of farmers based on their integration of ecological results into farming. These are nature values: 1) central to farmer thinking, 2) well-integrated, 3) viewed positively, but with limited actions and, 4) mainly absent.

Farmers' reactions to the internationalisation of cooperatives

Abstract: This study examined the extent to which farmer cooperatives enjoy social capital within their memberships as they become internationalised. The empirical basis was a survey of farmers in Finland. Findings from limited dependent variable regression models suggest that one group of farmers is loyal to the cooperative and opposes its foreign investments. A second and a third group have lower levels of social capital and switch membership status between multiple cooperatives or opt out of cooperatives. These farmers welcome international investment. This finding was more significant for individual farm types than the social capital-linked opposition to internationalisation. A general conclusion is that the internationalization of cooperatives seems affect the members’ trust in the cooperative differently. The increasing heterogeneity within the memberships may give rise to governance problems.

Marketing Strategies for the Primary Sector: An Empirical Study

1. Introduction Marketing channels are very important in the farming sector since it comprises a large number of small agricultural holdings, most of the agricultural products are undifferentiated, and the farming enterprises are isolated for the final consumer (Ritson 1997). Distribution channel choice is one in which an organization can achieve its marketing objectives within the framework of its marketing strategy (Fifield 1992; Kotler 1994). A marketing strategy that an organization follows aims to identify a competitive and consumer advantage and therefore can be viewed as an integral part of the business strategy (Wind and Robertson 1983). Porter (1980) identified three internally consistent generic strategies for creating a defendable position in the long run for competitors in an industry. The three generic strategies that a firm may adopt are: (a) overall cost leadership, (b) differentiation and (c) focus. Following on from this, four broad strategies based on the above generic strategies were suggested by Fearne and Bates (2000): (i) cost leadership strategy, (ii) differentiation strategy, (iii) diversification strategy and (iv) specialization strategy. Kohls and Uhl (1990) argued that in the food industry most firms mainly adopt the following two strategies: product differentiation and market segmentation. It can be difficult to use the typologies of business strategies presented above to describe adequately the way agricultural businesses behave, due to the nature of farm firms (especially their small scale and dependence on family labour and management) and the environment in which they operate. Generally, little is known about the decision making process of farmers regarding marketing strategy selection and particularly about the factors and the farmers' characteristics that influence them to choose a particular strategic alternative. Some studies have sought to cluster farmers according to their strategic behaviour.. McLeay et al. (1996) identified five strategic groups of crop farmers in New Zealand, while Ohlmer, et al. (1998) clustered Swedish farmers in relation to their decision making. Carter (2001) examined the role of farms in the creation of new business in rural areas. Three groups of farmers were identified by Carter (2001) based on their relative engagement in additional business ownership activities: monoactive farmers, structural diversifiers and portfolio business owners. Distinctive group differences found in their personal, farm business, managerial characteristics and in their perceptions of business opportunities and constrains. Vesala et. al. (2007) explored the concept of entrepreneurial capability of farmers to diversify. Their main focus was on the entrepreneurial identity of portfolio farmers in Finland and the extent to which the differences between portfolio farmers, other farmers and non farm rural businesses can be explained. They found that portfolio farmers have stronger entrepreneurial identity than conventional farmers as well as they have the perception that they are growth oriented, risk takers, innovative, optimistic and having more personal control upon their business activities. Other studies have attempted to identify the factors that influence farmers to adopt a particular marketing strategy. For example, distribution risk is one factor that influences marketing decision making in the agribusiness sector. Risks that agricultural producers face are linked with decisions about the prices, quantity, quality, and the timing of delivery (Royer, 1995). Transaction cost was identified as another factor, which has significant impact on marketing decision-making (Hobbs, 1996). Age, education and farm profit are also, according to Hobbs (1997), some factors that affect farmers using live auction markets: the type of cattle, quick payment and the price received were the most important reasons for selling cattle live-weight. Mishra et. al. (2009) investigated the factors such as farm, operator and household characteristics, farm type and regional location of the farm, that affect the financial performance of new and beginning farmers. …

Risk Factors for Occupational Injuries among Full-Time Farmers in Finland

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of and farm management-related risk factors for occupational injuries among full-time farmers. A computer-assisted telephone interview was conducted among randomly selected self-employed full-time farmers (n = 1182; 911 male and 271 female), The response rate was 86%. Two-thirds of the respondents raised dairy or beef cattle. Nearly 16% of the farmers had experienced one or more occupational injuries requiring medical consultation during the past 12 months; the total number of such injuries was 222. Injuries were more common among male (17 injuries/100 person-years) than female farmers (13 injuries/ 100 person-years). The injuries occurred most frequently in animal husbandry work (n = 97). Falling or slipping was the most common mechanism of injury. Poisson regression with a stepwise (forward) model selection procedure identified the following risk factors for occupational injuries: male gender, younger age, cooperation with other farmers, perceived high accident risk, and stress symptoms. The adjusted rate ratios for these risk factors ranged from 1.40 to 1.96. This study indicates that interventions are needed, particularly among male farmers in their early years of full-time farm operation. At this stage of life, heavy financial burden and stress while establishing and expanding production may contribute to injuries. To reduce stress and related injuries, we recommend guidance for farmers regarding the organization and management of farm work.

Safety and Animal Handling Practices among Women Dairy Operators

This article presents suggestions toward safer animal handling utilizing the results of a qualitative study of women dairy farmers in Finland. A major proportion of injuries (43%) occur in livestock-related work in Finnish agriculture. An even greater proportion of women's farm injuries (77%) is related to animals. We investigated the working conditions often women dairy farmers. Data were collected by observing farm work and performing semi-structured interviews. The study farms represented different milk production technologies with an average farm size of 106 ha (262 acres) of cultivated land, 51 ha (126 acres) of forest, and 45 dairy cows. Farm-related injuries were frequent; eight respondents out often had suffered one or several injuries during the previous two years. The women considered farm animals as the greatest hazard, and unexpected animal behavior was viewed as the most significant work-related injury risk. Dangerous situations often resulted from stress in cows caused by unpleasant circumstances or making animals fearful of people. Experiences from some farms suggested that dairy farm work can be relatively safe and that improving the trust between the cows and their handlers plays a key role in safety. We synthesized our findings into four animal handling strategies that can potentially reduce the risk of injury among stockpersons. We developed practical guidelines on how to gradually build a good cow-handler relationship based on our findings and the literature on cattle handling strategies and animal welfare science.

The first experience of livestock guarding dogs preventing large carnivore damages in Finland

Abstract. Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) have been for millennia an effective means of protecting rangeland, i.e. cattle or sheep, from predators in Central and Southern Europe and Asia. In contrast, there is no LGD tradition or local breeds in the Nordic countries. The objective of this study was to collect descriptive information about the experiences of LGDs in Finland acquired by early farm adopters through semi-structured interviews, narratives, and on-site visits to farms. The experiences were encouraging: no predation was observed since LGD(s) presence. The presence of LGDs had multifunctional character by increasing the feeling of security. Unlike in Norway the farmers in Finland did not describe high costs or serious difficulties in relationships with guarded animals, herding dogs, other animals, or village neighbourhoods. Key words: livestock guarding dogs, LGD, predation, wolf, lynx, bear. INTRODUCTION In recent decades the populations of wolves ( Canis lupus ), bears ( Ursus arctos

Legumes in Finnish agriculture: history, present status and future prospects

Legumes are important in world agriculture, providing biologically fixed nitrogen, breaking cereal disease cycles and contributing locally grown food and feed, including forage. Pea and faba bean were grown by early farmers in Finland, with remains dated to 500 BC. Landraces of pea and faba bean were gradually replaced by better adapted, higher quality materials for food use. While grain legumes have been restricted by their long growing seasons to the south of the country, red, white and alsike clovers are native throughout and have long been used in leys for grazing, hay and silage. Breeding programmes released many cultivars of these crops during the 1900s, particularly pea and red clover. A.I. Virtanen earned the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on both nitrogen fixation and silage preservation. Use of crop mixtures may appear modern, but farmers used them already in the early 1800s, when oat was used to support pea, and much effort has been devoted to improving the system and establishing its other benefits. Although international cultivars have been easily accessible since Finland’s 1995 entry into the European Union, the combination of feed quality and appropriate earliness is still needed, as < 1% of arable land is sown to grain legumes and an increase to 9–10% would allow replacement of imported protein feeds. Climate change will alter the stresses on legume crops, and investment in agronomy, physiology and breeding is needed so that farmers can gain from the many advantages of a legume-supported rotation.;

The split entrepreneurial identity of the farmer

Purpose – This research shows that entrepreneurship is currently at the focus of much theoretical, practical and political interest. In Europe, agriculture has faced increasing pressures for restructuring: facilitation of marketing and entrepreneurial skills of farmers and a stronger entrepreneurial orientation have been suggested as a possible solution for the emerging problems. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of entrepreneurial capability of farmers to diversify. The central focus of this article is on the entrepreneurial identity of portfolio farmers in Finland and the extent to which the differences between portfolio farmers, other farmers, and non‐farm rural businesses can be explained.Design/methodology/approach – The subjects of the study were rural small‐business owner‐managers and farmers in Finland. The authors carried out a survey of random samples from three populations, each representing a broad cross‐section of relevant industries, including a sample of non‐farm rural ent...

Ongoing development and evaluation of occupational health services for farmers in Finland

In Finland, occupational health services have been developed based on the 1979 law that was updated in 2002. Cooperation among OH specialists, researchers, authorities, OH-units, interest groups and clients is characteristic of the development of farmers' occupational health services (FOHS). The systematic planning and development of FOHS have been conducted since 1979 by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in collaboration with the Social Insurance Institution (SII) and the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution (FSII). In 1985, the National Board of Health issued an ordinance initiating FOHS in municipal health care centres according to the proposals of the research team. Thereafter, FOHS have been continually evaluated and developed. In addition, farmers' health hazards at work and their work related diseases, mortality and accidents have been studied in follow-up surveys in 1979, 1982, 1986, 1992 and 2004. A training program for FOHS personnel started in 1981. The functional adequacy and productivity of FOHS was studied in the surveys of 1989, 1995, 2000 and 2004. A recommendation for applying Good Occupational Health Practice-ordinance (GOHP) in FOHS was issued in 2000. Experiences, needs and expectations of farmers in relation to FOHS were studied in 1992, 2001 and 2004. The results of the survey of the year 2004 and the statistics of the SII an FSII show that functional adequacy of FOHS had improved from the level observed in 1996. The coverage of FOHS has increased from 32% in 1999 to 41% in 2004 of all insured farmers. According to the statistics of the SII the functional adequacy of FOHS has increased. The checking of working conditions is something that has increased in particular. Coverage of FOHS has also increased in some regions. The main limitations for GOHP in FOHS are still the lack of resources and training of OH personnel in many OHS units and the inactivity of farmers as well as local FOHS advisory boards. The most important challenges are to improve the effectiveness and coverage of FOHS.

HIGH LEVELS OF DIOXINS IN RIVER SEDIMENTS AND CANCER RISK IN NEARBY FARMERS

Small area statistics on health (SMASH) -system is a GIS application used for rapid investigations of cancer near geographically defined exposure sources in Finland. In the River Kymijoki, the environmental levels of dioxins and furans, deriving from the production of a chlorophenol product called Ky-5 from 1939 to 1984, are among the highest in the world (i.e., between 0.5 and 350 ng g-1 (I-TEQ)). This study investigates the risk of total cancer and selected cancer subtypes in farmers living near the River Kymijoki, presuming that highest dioxin exposures occur closest to the river. The SMASH -system holds, in squares of size 0.5 km x 0.5 km, register-data from the Central Population Register, the Finnish Cancer Register and the Statistics Finland. Exposure assessment was based on the distance of residence to the River Kymijoki in 1980. SMASH was used to create datasets of three cohorts of farmers (living closer than 1 km, 1 to 4 km, or 5 to 19 km from the river) and their incident cancers between 1981 and 2000. Expected numbers were counted based on incidence rates in all farmers in Finland. Estimates of relative risk (RR) were obtained from Poisson-regression models using observed and expected numbers of cancer and adjusting for sex, age and calendar period. The RRs for total cancer in farmers were 1.00, 0.97, and 1.21 by decreasing distance to the river; the respective numbers of observed cases (and 95% confidence intervals, CI) were 388 (reference), 134 (0.80–1.18) and 100 (0.97–1.51). For farmers living closest to the river, the RRs were statistically significantly increased during 1981–90 (RR = 1.40) but not during (1.09). Likewise, the RRs were statistically significantly increased for farmers aged less than 45 years (RR = 1.81) in 1980, but not for those aged 45 to 59 years (1.09), or those aged 60 years or more (1.04). Increased (but statistically non-significant) RRs were observed for cancers of the testis, nervous system (significant), breast, pancreas, bladder, liver, ovary, thyroid, prostate, and rectum, and for soft tissue sarcoma, malignant non-melanoma of the skin, Hodgkin's disease and leukaemia. The results are suggestive of increased cancer risk in farmers living close to the River Kymijoki. However, GIS can only give first approximations of risk and the results need to be confirmed in individual-level studies. The fact that the risk was increased during 1981–1990 but not during 1991–2000 suggests that any increase in risk may already be fading away.

Work injuries among Finnish farmers: A National Register Linkage study 1996–1997

Farming is one of the most injury-prone occupations in Finland as it is in other countries. Our goals were to describe work injuries of Finnish farmers and to compare occupational injury rates between various subgroups. A national cohort of 69,629 full-time farmers and their 11,657 compensated injuries were identified from an insurance company database. Cohort data were merged with a population census and farm register. Relative incidence rates were calculated using Poisson regression. Men had higher injury rates than women, except with regard to injuries caused by animals. Dairy and hog farming were the riskiest activities, and injury rates increased with the number of dairy cows. One-half of insured farmers in Finland are full-time farmers, which may have lead to underestimation of risk in Finnish injury statistics. Dairy farming is of particular concern because it is both common and has a high injury rate.

The cultural model of “the good farmer” and the environmental question in Finland

Farmers' relationship with nature isdetermined by the significance of agriculturefor human beings. When agriculture is definedas human activity that uses renewable naturalresources and aims to produce usable food andfiber products, agriculture is explicitlydefined as production. Farmers' relationshipwith nature is based on the principle ofproduction. This article discusses thecontradiction between the peasant values ofprotection of nature that many farmers inFinland still have and the environmental harmtheir production-oriented farming style causes.When farmers interpret their farming practicesas harmonious co-operation with nature, it isdifficult for them to see the polluting effectsof their work. Paul B. Thompson's suggestionthat three religious–philosophical doctrines(hard work, the doctrine of grace, and the mythof garden) have made it easy for farmers toadopt productionist farming strategy is used asa framework to interpret farmers' narrativesconcerning their relationship with nature. Theresearch is qualitative and biographical. Thedata include life stories and biographicaltexts farmers wrote for a competition in1997.