Sustainability Report 2024: 99% of our ingredients come from Finland
Helsinki Mills’ sustainability work continues to progress strongly from field to table. All the grain we processed in 2024 was 100% Finnish, and as much as 99% of all our ingredients were of Finnish origin. We expanded our Sustainability Farming Program from oats to wheat and launched new Myllärin 2.0 products for consumers. Products are grown with respect for the environment and well-being of the soil.
Our sustainability work is built on three cornerstones: environment, procurement, and people & society. Our overarching promise is to offer healthy and responsible plant-based food solutions for a variety of diets.
As a Finnish family-owned company, we employ around 110 people in Järvenpää, Vaasa, and Närpiö. All our assets are located in Finland, and in 2024 we were the fifth-largest corporate taxpayer in Järvenpää. We paid €143,000 in income taxes and invested €875,000 in Finland.
The Myllärin brand once again ranked among the ten most responsible food brands in the Finland's Sustainable Brand Index study.
Lower Emissions and Better Yields
We are committed to minimizing emissions across our value chain by 2034. In 2024, our own Scope 1 and 2 emissions totaled approximately 90 tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of about twelve Finns. We offset these emissions by reforesting former farmland in cooperation with Carboreal Oy.
Most of our climate impact arises at the beginning of our value chain: 85% of our total emissions come from grain cultivation. That’s why we established our own Sustainability Farming Program. By 2024, more than half of our gluten-free oats were grown according to the program’s principles.
The program focuses on improving soil health, reducing tillage, and enhancing carbon sequestration. Sustainable farming supports biodiversity, protects pollinators, and reduces nutrient runoff into waterways. Farmers’ commitment to sustainability is rewarded through a premium paid for their harvest.
In 2024, we launched Myllärin 2.0 Oat Flakes, cultivated under the program’s principles. The first harvest came from the Mäki-Latvala farm in Ilmajoki, and during the year we expanded the program from oats to wheat.
Concrete Actions for Responsibility
In 2024, we invested in new sifter cabinets at our Järvenpää mill, improving yield, production efficiency, and reducing waste. At our Vaasa biothermal plant, we made technical upgrades that allow us to use renewable fuel oil as a backup energy source.
We also switched to FSC-certified cardboard in our packaging and reduced plastic use by 12%.
Sustainability for us also means community involvement. Once again, we donated €10,000 to Save the Children Finland and distributed welcome product bags to students in cooperation with student housing organisations HOAS, VOAS, and TOAS. We continued to participate in three business villages, where a total of almost 20,000 sixth-graders learn working life and financial skills every year. At our stand they learn how food travels from field to table.
Read more: Sustainability Report 2024 Sustainability Report 2023 Sustainability Report 2022 Sustainability Report 2021 Sustainability Report 2020
