Organic food is gaining popularity on a global scale. Our founder Lasse Jalkanen has been developing and working towards a more organicfood culture in Finland for over a decade. We want to share the story of Foodin with you, shedding light on how one of Finland’s mostsubstantial organic food producers and manufacturers began to flourish, and how we’ll continue to develop better food culture!
AT THE ROOT OF FOODIN
Our story starts over a decade ago, when our founder Lasse Jalkanen became interested in improving his own health and physicalperformance through nutrition. The appropriate products were not available in Finland back then, so they had to be sought out and broughtback from all around the world. Whilst sparking interest in his own wellbeing and performance, Lasse grew increasingly interested in the originof food and ingredients. On his first trip to small local farmers in the Brazilian Amazon, Lasse discovered the enormous effect and importanceof the food industry.
“It was no longer merely about how food and nutrition fed my body, but also how much I could impact the lives of the people in the rainforestby simply buying the ingredients they produce”, Lasse reminisces.
The feeling of wanting to support and help hard-working, kind-hearted farmers by buying everything they could ever be able to produce hasremained in Lasse’s mind. It is evident that Foodin’s idea of Sharing Happiness was strongly present even before the brand was created.
THE STORY OF FOODIN BEGINS
In 2013, at the time Foodin as a brand was established, Lasse had his own online store focused on wellness products as well as severaldifferent ongoing projects in other companies of the same industry. Lasse developed his know-how by travelling the world whenever and wherever he could, going from small family farmers to grand international fairs and events in search of new ideas and partnerships.
Maria Jalkanen, the second owner and entrepreneur of Foodin, stepped into the story in 2015. Meeting Maria was a chance for Lasse to take it down a notch and crystallise Foodin’s core mission. Having previous experience in the same field, Maria and Lasse shared a mutual passion and interest in developing Foodin onwards. By focusing on Foodin, both Lasse and Maria could influence matters that were important to them– ie the food production value chain from farmer to consumer – and conduct purposeful business.
Lasse and Maria consider it most important to work from their hometown, Jyväskylä. Foodin’s production and warehouse currently employswell over 50 people, and with Foodin’s continual growth, the team will keep on growing. Lasse and Maria dream that one day their ownchildren, Eemeli and Lilja, will continue Foodin’s story. Working together has given the couple a lot – and will keep on giving as the company grows.
