Writing on the Le Monde website, Anne-Françoise Hivert provides us with an important story about resilience and preparedness. Distributed across the country, Finland’s reserves – along its 1,340 kilometres of border with Russia – cover nine months of grain consumption and five months of its oil and gas needs. The system has emerged as a potential model for the European Union.
Finland’s strategic reserves model sets an example for Europe in crisis preparedness
For 16 generations, the Wickholm family has lived in Mustio, a hamlet an hour west of Helsinki, Finland, passing down the seed-farming profession from father to son. Amid fields of grain, their red- walled barn houses dozens of sacks of seeds, marked with the Tilasiemen cooperative’s logo. Some of these bags could be part of Finland’s strategic reserves. Marcus Wickholm, the father, remains discreet – the information is confidential. He does, however, confirm that the cooperative manages a portion of the country’s seed stocks on behalf of the State.
While the European Union has only just begun to consider stockpiling essential goods for times of crisis, Finland has taken a significant lead in ensuring its food security. Not only does the Nordic country of 5.6 million people produce more grain, eggs and pork than it consumes, achieving a food self-sufficiency rate of 80%, but it also has a higher rate than neighboring Sweden at 50%. Finland also maintains reserves of grain, seeds, fertilizer and crop-protection products, as well as stockpiles of oil and gas and medicines.
Seen as a benchmark on the European stage, Finland’s system was born out of necessity. The climate challenges are real: a third of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle, making poor harvests a regular occurrence. Finland established its first grain reserves in 1726, after a famine that wiped out a third of the population.
Lessons learned from history
Finland’s strategy also stems from its geography. “Just look at a map and you’ll see we’re almost an island,” explained Janne Känkänen, the director of the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA), which coordinates the country’s preparedness. Sharing 1,340 kilometers of border with Russia, Finland did not wait for the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to realize its vulnerability, especially as 95% of its goods trade passes through the Baltic Sea.
The Finnish people have also taken lessons from their history. After World War II, the country, independent since 1917, was forced to cede 10% of its territory to the Soviet Union, pay reparations, and tolerate thousands of Red Army soldiers near its capital until 1956. Once the last soldiers had left, Finland laid the foundations for its “total defense” model, mobilizing society as a whole. Stockpiling was one element of this approach. Neither the collapse of the USSR nor the end of the Cold War convinced Finland to abandon it.
In the basement of a building in central Helsinki, inside the highly secure offices of NESA, Känkänen explained: “The basic idea is that Finns must be able to survive any type of crisis. And for that, they need access to enough food, drinking water, communication channels and other essential services.”
However, anyone imagining vast warehouses filled with food and medicines will be disappointed. The model, based on a partnership between the public authorities and the private sector, is much more diffuse and highly decentralized. The State does not manage the stocks; instead, companies are paid to maintain reserves that are integrated into the market. “It is much more cost-effective and, above all, it ensures a permanent rotation,” said Jukka Peltola, a preparedness specialist at NESA.
Another distinctive feature is that participation is voluntary. No company is required to take part, but “they all do,” stated Peltola. He pointed to commercial interest and a clear awareness of risk in a country where military conscription is mandatory for men. That does not prevent the Confederation of Farmers from voicing criticism: the reserves, argued grain grower Max Schulman, an adviser to the union, tend to “push prices down.” NESA disputes that claim, noting that stocks have only been used in emergencies, such as in 2018 and 2022, following poor harvests.
The system is funded by a tax on fuel and electricity (€66 million), supplemented by a government allocation (€25 million). Before Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, the agency had around 30 employees. Now, there are more than 100, not including workers in critical industries whose jobs are funded by NESA.
All scenarios are considered. However, “because of the current geopolitical context, we have decided to focus particularly on the possibility of armed conflict, hybrid operations, or a severe disruption of the global economy,” said Känkänen. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic provided a full-scale test. While neighboring countries fiercely competed to secure surgical masks, Finland drew on its reserves. The episode also exposed shortcomings: some supplies had expired as far back as 2012.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted adjustments. Helsinki increased its grain reserves to cover nine months of consumption, up from six. Inspired by how Kyiv managed attacks on its power grid, Finland also decided to establish a network of 300 emergency supermarkets equipped with backup generators, where residents could obtain supplies and information.
Insufficient domestic production of packaging
Despite decades of planning, Finland still faces numerous challenges. At the Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, Eero Alaluusua coordinates preparedness across a sector made up of 250 companies. One pressing issue is that the country produces insufficient packaging. “It’s still something of a blind spot, but having stocks is not enough. If we don’t have packaging, it will be impossible to produce food on a large scale,” warned Alaluusua.
Drawing on his experience as president of Finland from 2012 to 2024, Sauli Niinistö was tasked by the European Commission with writing a report on the EU’s military and civil preparedness. In his findings, submitted at the end of 2024, he urged the EU to follow Finland’s model. Inspired by his recommendations, Brussels unveiled its first strategy for stockpiling essential goods – food, water, oil, fuel and medicines – in July 2025.
Vice president of the agriculture committee in the European Parliament, French Socialist Eric Sargiacomo visited Finland in early June on a study trip. The MEP, who presented a draft report on June 29 addressing these issues, believes that member states are not moving fast enough on civil preparedness. In Helsinki, many share his view. However, while Finland acknowledged that joint efforts are needed and that collective initiatives are possible – for example, Stockholm and Helsinki are considering joint management of certain grain, medicine, or hydrocarbon stocks – it also fears that harmonization could lower standards, potentially weakening its model.
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