Pure Finnish nature.
Finland is the cleanest and greenest country in the world according to the 2016 EPI (Environmental Performance Index) compiled by Yale and Columbia University. The index compares how ecosystems and human health are protected in different countries.
The EPI index compares how different states take care of air quality, clean water and water resources. In addition, they look at how agriculture, forests and fish stocks are managed. The index is also affected by energy solutions and governments' attitudes to biodiversity and climate change.
In Finland, air quality is good because Finland is far from major sources of emissions and because Finland's own emissions have been successfully controlled. According to the WHO, Finland has the cleanest air in the EU and the third cleanest air in the world after Canada and Iceland.
More than 70% of Finland's land area is covered by forest, making Finland one of the most forested countries in the world. The soil in our forests is unpolluted. 97% of Finland's forests could be certified as organic if the landowner decided to do so. Ecologically certified forests are not sprayed or poisoned. Landowners have currently certified 40% of the forests (2019). These organically certified forests, which correspond to 12 million hectares, are the largest single organic harvesting area for berries and mushrooms in the world.
More than 80% of Finland's lakes have water of either good or excellent quality. Finland's groundwater reserve is huge. In Finland, only about two percent of annually renewable fresh water is actually used. This can be compared with water crisis areas, where consumption can be close to one hundred percent.
Finland has very bright summers, during which the sun sets late at night and the sunrise then occurs very early. In Ostrobothnia, the nights are bright for many weeks. The Finnish winter is long and dark. For plants, this means a long rest accompanied by an intense growing season. Therefore, the berries grown in Finland are the juiciest in the world and contain huge amounts of healthy antioxidants and vitamins.
