South Savo has a diverse food sector
The vast majority of businesses in South Savo’s food sector, more than 1,700, operate in primary production. The region’s farms and food businesses are small compared with those in southern and western Finland. The average area of agricultural land in use is 36 hectares per farm, compared with the national average of 55 hectares. Most of the cultivated land is used to grow grass and feed grain for livestock production.
The region’s smaller farm size compared with the rest of Finland is balanced by extensive specialist crop production and specialisation. South Savo is a pioneer in organic production, and the region was named the EU’s best organic region in 2004.
Food manufacturing
More than 80 businesses in South Savo process food. Their products have received national and international recognition in various competitions. The accompanying image provides more details on the sectors in which these businesses operate.
How can consumers identify local products from the region? The D.O.Saimaa quality and origin label was developed ten years ago to address this need. The Saimaa Designation of Origin means that the product or ingredient has been produced in the Saimaa region in accordance with high quality criteria. The D.O.Saimaa label can be awarded upon application to individual products and to restaurants that commit to regularly using several D.O.Saimaa products in their dishes.
Inland fishing
South Savo’s abundant waterways provide favourable conditions for inland fishing: one in every five kilograms of fish caught in Finland’s inland waters comes from the region. The main species caught is vendace, with a catch of 0.71 million kilograms in 2023. This accounts for almost 40% of Finland’s total vendace catch. Pikeperch and bream are also important catch species.
Bringing food and tourism together
South Savo is a forerunner in food tourism, with successful efforts to bring food and tourism together and develop food tourism. Tourism is an important industry in the region, and its tasty, diverse local food can easily be incorporated into tourism offerings. The region played an active role in the Saimaa European Region of Gastronomy 2024 celebrations.
South Savo is the EU’s best organic region in 2024!
South Savo is a pioneering region in organic farming and its development
South Savo is a forerunner particularly in organic horticultural production. Onions, carrots and cabbages are the main crops grown. The areas under organic strawberry and turnip rape cultivation are also significant.
In 2025, one in ten farmers in South Savo was an organic farmer (171 farms). Organic farming accounted for 16.4% of the arable land, compared with 14% in Finland as a whole.
Processed organic products include flakes and other grain products, ready meals, berry and vegetable products, and various beverages.
