Senior Researcher Saska Tuomasjukka never consciously created a career path but did what felt good and right. In retrospect, it was his values that were behind it all: sustainable development and love for nature. This led him to an inspiring job at the Nutrition and Food Research Centre of the University of Turku.
Six of the planetary boundaries have been exceeded. Planetary boundaries refer to the Earth's safety limits. Human activity consumes natural resources and pollutes the environment, but as long as it remains within these limits, its effects on Earth's ecosystems are tolerable.
“Although the situation is alarming, a change of direction is possible,” says Senior Researcher Saska Tuomasjukka from the Nutrition and Food Research Centre.
Tuomasjukka, who was born in Sodankylä and raised in the middle of the most beautiful nature, ended up in Turku by chance and in his current position by his values.
Before studying food chemistry, Tuomasjukka studied electrical engineering and literature. Neither field felt right and third time was the charm, as food chemistry took him all the way to a doctorate in nutrition and from there to a career as a researcher.
During his career, Tuomasjukka has worked in a variety of roles in a wide range of food production companies, both large and small, and international and domestic. In addition, he has founded his own company that produces organic food inspired by Lapland, which he runs alongside his research career.
"In order to make a difference, you need to understand the whole food system."
According to Tuomasjukka, he has changed both the fields he has studied and the companies he has worked for by chance. He never consciously created a career path but did what felt good and right. In retrospect, there was a common thread behind it all: his values of sustainable development and love for nature.
He wishes others would have this freedom and opportunity as well.
“Multidisciplinary expertise is needed to solve large-scale issues. Many people would benefit from trying studying and working in different fields. It helps to discover your passions and values, and deepens your understanding of the world, your own expertise and other factors surrounding it.”
Planetary diet – balance between nature and food
Food production is the biggest contributor to breaching four planetary boundaries and a major cause of climate change. Food production is breaching planetary boundaries, thus reducing the potential for food production in the future. On the other hand, food production is essential, which is why a balance must be found between nature and food.
The goal of the planetary diet is to balance Earth's resources and human needs. The goal is to maintain biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and secure ecosystem services vital for food production, such as clean water or buzzing pollinators.
“The planetary diet emphasises a plant-based approach, with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes making up the majority of the diet. Meat and dairy products are still an important part of the diet, but they are recommended to be consumed significantly less than plant-based products,” Tuomasjukka explains.
"The responsibility for planetary boundaries does not lie with the consumer alone, but with society as a whole."
Vegetarian food made from domestic plant proteins is almost always a more environmentally friendly and sustainable option than meat, and by cutting down on meat you can reduce both your nature and carbon footprint.
A more plant-based diet is also good for people – it promotes health and prevents diseases.
In order to achieve a sustainable food system, we should also reduce food waste by half. Currently, one third of edible food worldwide ends up in trash. Waste is generated at all stages of the food chain, from field to fork. Most of this waste is generated in households.
Tuomasjukka became a Senior Researcher in the Nutrition and Food Research Centre of the University of Turku a few years ago. Although his career path has not been typical for a researcher, he feels it has been very useful. His career has taught him a lot about food chains all the way from the field to the fork. The rest of the research group also comes from very different backgrounds, which he says is one of the strengths of the group.
“In order to make a difference, you need to understand the whole food system and be able to take all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds into account,” he says.
In fact, one of the things that inspires Tuomasjukka the most is the multidisciplinarity of both the research group and the research area. Their research covers areas such as medicine, biology, geography, economics, communication and marketing, and psychology.
“It is not only about where the problem comes from and how to fix it, but also about how to change deep-rooted ecological, social, cultural and economic thoughts and practices, and how to communicate the issue so that both food system operators and consumers take it seriously.”
It is inspiring to explore where these thoughts and practices originate, how they can be influenced, what kind of operators are needed for change, and which new concepts and communication tools can be used, Tuomasjukka describes.
Change must be systematic and it requires all of us
Another inspiring thing is the acute need to find solutions. Sustainable development, planetary boundaries and different diets have long been on the agenda, but no solutions have been found. The longer this goes on, the more difficult it will be to find solutions.
Tuomasjukka stresses the importance of taking responsibility. Deep-rooted thoughts and practices can be difficult to change, and it often takes time to get used to new things. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easiest to choose something familiar and safe.
“The responsibility for planetary boundaries does not lie with the consumer alone, but with society as a whole and all those involved. With good decision-making, regulations and policies, it is possible to contribute to sustainable food production and access to sustainable food,” Tuomasjukka points out.
It is not enough for one part of the system to take the issue seriously – change must be systematic and it requires all of us. Tuomasjukka wonders whether it is time to move on from how to get consumers to make the right choices to how to reform the system so that the responsibility for making the right choices is not left to the consumer.
How to make an impact through your choices
- Choose organic or regenerative food: organic and regenerative farming are better for biodiversity than conventional production.
- Favour products from local smallholders: smallholding supports biodiversity and sustainable production.
- Eat less but better red meat: conventional red meat production depletes biodiversity and stresses the environment, while grazing cattle on natural pastures and organic farms have a positive impact on biodiversity and maintains rare habitat types.
- Swap red meat for chicken or fish: the greenhouse emissions and the area needed to produce chicken and fish are significantly smaller than those of beef, sheep or pork. Finnish freshwater fish, in particular, is a sustainable choice.
- Favour plant proteins: the greenhouse emissions and the area needed to produce plant proteins is a fraction of those of animal proteins.
- Choose domestic potatoes instead of rice: potatoes have a much lower impact on biodiversity loss than rice, for example, only a tenth of the clean water is used and carbon emissions plummet. As a bonus, you get to support domestic production.
- Take only as much as you can eat, waste burdens nature.
“Even with small changes, you can make an impact,” Tuomasjukka encourages.
Text: Hanna Hämynen
Translation: Hanna Hämynen
Photos: Hanna Oksanen
