Title: Experiments in sustainable rural livelihood in Finland

Authors: Pekka Jokinen, Marja Jarvela, Suvi Huttunen, Antti Puupponen

Addresses: Department of Regional Studies, University of Tampere, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland. ' Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. ' Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. ' Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland

Abstract: This paper addresses rural development and farm level action in Finland by posing the following main questions: What is the pioneering potential of small-scale entrepreneurship in enhancing rural sustainability? What are the specialisations feasible for such entrepreneurship in the present societal circumstances? What kind of local networking does it take to sustain on-farm activity for rural sustainability? We present empirical evidence from Central Finland about the ways in which both local food entrepreneurship and farm-based renewable energy production add to the rural livelihood and particularly to its social dimension. It is concluded that there is a potential overall impact on sustainable rural livelihood generated by novel entrepreneurship in local food and heat production.

Keywords: rural development; rural sustainability; farming; multifunctionality; small-scale entrepreneurship; rural-environmental policy; local food production; renewable energy production; Finland; sustainable development; agriculture; local networking; rural livelihoods; heat production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2008.018326

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2008 Vol.7 No.3, pp.211 - 228

Published online: 15 May 2008 *

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