Natural livelihood real estates in Finland
Rummukainen, Aune
Natural conditions in the northern part of Finland greatly restrict agriculture. The growing season is short and the number of degree days is low. Because of the barren soil and sparse population there arennt many altervative livelihoods. Even forestry is marginal in this area. In the 19800s a large share of population in this area earned a significant part of their living from not only agriculture and reindeer husbandry but also other natural livelihoods like fishing, hunting and gathering berries. The amount of agriculture and reindeer husbandry practiced by this group was minimal and supporting these livelihoods was not economically feasible. For this reason the Natural Livelihoods Act was established in 1984. According to this Act, it was possible to employ State land use measures to form Natural Livelihood Real Estates and grant addition areas to the existing real estates to support natural livelihoods. Nowadays only reindeer husbandry is economically significant as a natural livelihood. Even the profitability of reindeer husbandry is low, owing to low producer prices, a growing amount of predators and diminishing supplies of lichen, reindeerss main natural food.
Event: FIG Working Week 2012 : Territory, environment, and cultural heritage
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