Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Food aid workers around the country report worrying phenomena - Silent Genocide

Food aid workers around the country report worrying phenomena

The fact that the numbers already exceed the corona year tells a story of strong growing polarization in society, says Food Aid expert Marja Palkonen. Photo.com.pic. / Mauri Ratilainen / All Over Press

Published 05.12.2024 06:15
Joonas Lepisto
joonas.lepisto@mtv.fi 
@LepistoJoonas

Figures on food aid reveal growing polarization.

In Oulu, it is not possible to distribute as much food as is needed. In Tampere, more and more applicants are left without food. In Southwest Finland, the plight of families with children is highlighted. In Vaasa's growing queues, only one in five is from the core population.

Food aid experts report on people's plight to MTV News in different parts of Finland.

TAMPERE: Food aid specialist Marja Palkonen, Tampere Evangelical Lutheran Church

"In the Tampere area, we are currently receiving approximately 15,000 grants per month. The months are different throughout the year, and autumn increased the number of applicants.

It should also be noted that some applicants will be left without, and that group appears to be growing in some of the allocation points. These people are not counted as applicants in any statistics.

In the city center or suburbs, there may be 300-500 applicants at once, and 30-50 applicants will be left without. It is not always just a matter of not having enough food, but of not having enough capacity or space for the transport equipment.

The estimated number of people who have received food aid this year is approximately 182,000.

MTV

The fact that the numbers already exceed the corona year tells a story of strong, growing polarization in this society.


The aftermath of Corona, the war in Ukraine, inflation, price increases, weakening of subsidies, increased substance abuse, evictions, mental health problems. People are feeling bad, there is just not enough money."

HELSINKI: Anni Heinälä, Head of Food Aid Operations, City of Helsinki

"According to our estimate, the number of visitors to food aid has increased by almost 20 percent this year. At the beginning of the year, there were just over 10,000–11,000 visitors to food distributions, and now there are around 12,000 visitors.

This estimate includes all food distributions in Helsinki, i.e. Myllypuro food aid, Hursti aid, and small and medium-sized food distributions within the Stadin safka network.


Helsinki food aid workers have reported that new faces are appearing in food aid, and that there have been more families with children, for example, in the distributions.

"International students are also a clearly growing group, and their number as food aid customers in 
Helsinki has increased significantly."



"More food is needed at almost every food distribution site"


SOUTHWEST FINLAND: Operation Food Bag, Executive Director Julia Lastunen

"The number of visitors has increased by about twenty percent in a year, which means an estimated 5,000–10,000 new people in need of help. This is my somewhat expert guess. Our figures are based on estimated visitor numbers and kilo statistics.

We at Operation Food Basket are constantly receiving requests from our member organizations that distribute food, that more food is needed and that the number of applicants is increasing. We act as the logistical center for food aid in the Southwest Finland region.

Unfortunately, the amount of food received as donations has mainly decreased, and the overall need cannot be met sufficiently, even though approximately 40,000 kilograms of food passes through our association every week.

This year, the need for families with children has definitely been highlighted, as many families who have previously managed reasonably well financially may currently need food aid.


In addition, the need for help among students has increased. At the same time, however, many of those in need of help are the same group as before, i.e. the unemployed and pensioners are large groups.

For us, the emergency is concretely visible in the fact that help is being requested all the time, and food is needed more at almost every food distribution point. However, the area has good networks of help through several actors, and therefore, fortunately, most of them can be offered at least some kind of help."


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Joonas Lepistö, a journalist specializing in social and health sector topics, explores current themes in society. Through the experiences of experts and citizens, Lepistö explains the state of Finnish social and health services.

Story tips joonas.lepisto@mtv.fi.
"People who used to just barely make ends meet can't anymore"

VAASA: Marttina Rahja, chairwoman of the Vaasa Food Aid Association

"At the beginning of the year and during the summer, the number of people in Vaasa's food aid queues was estimated at around 1,200–1,600 per week. By autumn, the number of people applying for food aid had risen to over 2,100 per week.

People who used to just barely make ends meet are no longer able to. I believe this is due to, among other things, the government's cuts to social security for our less privileged and vulnerable citizens. Substance abuse and mental health challenges seem to be on the rise.

"Here in Vaasa, there are a lot of students and people with immigrant backgrounds in the queues. The native population is about 20 percent."

OULU: Suvi Kervinen, Deaconess Institute Foundation


"The Prikka waste food logistics center started operations here in Oulu in 2021. So we collect waste food from stores and schools, among other places, sort it, and currently distribute it to 47 food aid operators in the Oulu region.

Through us, food is distributed to about 3,000 people every week, and in kilograms this means about 10,000 kilograms.

"Although the quantities are already large, our experience is that the number of people in need is indeed increasing. This is reflected in the fact that although we have been constantly increasing the amount of food we are distributing, we are currently unable to distribute as much food as is needed."



At the Heart of the Matter -doc: Sinikka lost two of her children and was burned out. She has faced poverty head-on since the 1990s.

https://www-mtvuutiset-fi.translate.goog/artikkeli/ruoka-avun-tyontekijat-ympari-maan-kertovat-huolestuttavista-ilmioista/9060338?_x_tr_sl=fi&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fi&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true


More on the topic:

Food aid distributed to the needy has decreased dramatically – rising prices are putting more people in the bread queueLines are getting longer for food aid, even though the number of unemployed is decreasing: "A new phenomenon"The food lines caused by Corona shock even the all-seeing Heikki Hurst: "I'm here because my last money is here"Helpers tell the sad everyday life of corona-Finland: A sick elderly person does not dare to ask for help, a dependent person gambles away his food money, and a family with children is running out of resourcesComment: Inequality is highlighted in queues – there are those who persist from morning to nightHeikki Hursti burst into tears about the length of the bread lines on a live broadcast – the helper of the poor is now in financial trouble himself: "We've been doing this for 50 years"
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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Finland's economic growth is almost the weakest in the world - Johnny Åkerholm

 

Finland's economic growth is almost the weakest in the world - "Why haven't Finns noticed this?" wonders Johnny Åkerholm, who dug up the information

18.3.2021, 12:30 updated 18.3.2021, 12:30


For ten years, Finland's economic growth has been almost the worst in the world.

"Why haven't Finns noticed this?" wonders Johnny Åkerholm , who has dug up grim information from statistics and  has had a long career in economics.

Finland ranks 134th in the growth comparison. In 2008–2019, only seven countries out of 141 in the world grew slower than Finland.

“The growth gap with Sweden is as much as 20 percent,” says Åkerholm.

Many newspaper readers lost their morning coffee on Tuesday when  Sixten Korkman  wrote about Finland's dismal economic growth in Helsingin Sanomat.

Korkman based his claim on information from a former civil servant colleague. Korkman and Åkerholm worked together at the Bank of Finland and the Ministry of Finance in the 1990s. Their paths later crossed in Brussels at the turn of the millennium. Before retiring, Åkerholm headed the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) in Helsinki.

Now Åkerholm answers the phone from Tahko in Northern Savo.

"I began to wonder that even though Finland's ranking in the competitiveness comparison dropped, Finland was still among the top ten countries. However, growth has been modest."

Until recently, Finland was the most competitive country in the world in the comparison, but now it ranks 10th.

Irritation prompted Åkerholm to look for economic growth data from, among others, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the OECD.

The result of Finland being ranked among the slowest growing countries in the world was a surprise even to the expert himself. In a comparison of Eurozone countries, only Greece and Italy have fared worse.

Welfare financed by debt

There is an obvious reason behind the startling attention.

“Finland's well-being has been financed by running public deficits and household deficits,” Åkerholm says, meaning that Finland has simply lived in debt.

In 2008–2019, the public sector's savings deficit was EUR 40 billion and that of households was EUR 50 billion.

"There has been no growth and companies have not invested. On the contrary, companies have a large savings surplus."

Households and the public sector are getting into debt, but companies' faith in the future seems weak.

Åkerholm has read Finnish investment statistics and compared them with Sweden. In particular, he has examined the development of intangible investments.

"In Sweden, intangible investments account for 28 percent of all investments and are growing. In Finland, they are only 18 percent and on the way down."

An example of intangible investment is when companies invest money in research and development, digitalization, and marketing.

Raw material exports have risen sharply

According to Åkerholm, there is also reason to be concerned about the development of Finland's exports. Goods exports account for approximately 70 percent of total exports. From the perspective of Finland's well-being, the development of the export structure is going in the wrong direction.

“Exports of raw materials have increased by as much as 88 percent,” Åkerholm wonders.

Finland exports, for example, minerals, pulp and cardboard to the world.

"I recently heard the news that sawn timber exports have recovered nicely. So we are happy that we are exporting the same goods as we did 150 years ago."

Is Finland turning into the banana state that was feared in recent years?

"That conclusion is not far off. Growth should now be achieved in areas that are based primarily on expertise."

Why aren't companies investing then? According to Åkerholm, that's something that companies need to be asked.

The state's job, he reminds us, is only to create the conditions for investment. The state, or the government as its representative, has no way of knowing where the next growth sector will be.

However, the rule of thumb is that instead of the state pouring a lot of funds into a specific old investment target, it would be more sensible to invest in general development and promote risk-taking opportunities.

“Finland needs a lot of new companies in fast-growing sectors.”

"The state must rethink its role, otherwise we will soon be driven into a Soviet-style planned economy."

There is still a shortage of venture capital

“One problem in Finland is still that there is far too little venture capital here,” Åkerholm reflects.

Åkerholm is exceptionally familiar with the dynamics of investment, having served as Secretary General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London in the early 2000s.

The bank lends, capitalizes and grants guarantees for various investment projects.

Unfortunately, politics becomes a stumbling block to sensible decisions.

"Creating investment conditions cannot be achieved in one election period. That means politicians cannot say, 'I did that.'"

Åkerholm praises  the report that was just submitted to the government by a working group led by former Nokia  CEO  Pekka Ala-Pietilä  . Its stark conclusion is that research and development investments must be increased.

However, the problem with even excellent reports is that they do not lead to practical implementation.

“We are on a worrying trajectory,” says Åkerholm.


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For 7 years in a row, #gullible #Finns have been buying into the #ZionistSupremacy #delusion , that they are the ' #HappiestCountry .' - Meanwhile, the #WEF - #Marxist #GreatReset #revolution has come to fruition, #FinlandFamine . #Finland #GDP Growth Rate 1961-2025

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