How did Food Help Finland Become the Happiest Country in the World?

Finland has once again topped the ranking for the happiest country in the world. But what has food got to do with it? In this programme, Sheila Dillon finds out whether what they eat, their food culture and unique food policies are helping Finns feel happy. What we could we learn from this enterprising Nordic nation? And what challenges are they still facing?

In Helsinki, Sheila visits restaurateur and ‘happiness hacker’ Luka Balac, who in his spare time takes tourists through a day in the life of ‘a happy Finn’, and explains how his approach to food hospitality fosters his own sense of happiness. Next. she joins a city food and walking tour to taste Finnish specialties like Karelian pies and cloudberry jam to find out more about the food habits of the locals.

Finland has had its fair share of unhappiness with high depression and suicide rates in the past. Now, there are new efforts to improve mental health via food. Sheila speaks to Aino Kipfer, a researcher in Eastern Finland, who is part of a project aiming to treat depression with better diets, building on the pioneering science around food and mood. She also hears more about how food is linked to security in the eastern region from Kirsi Vartia, of the Rural Women's Advisory Committee, who shares her own personal tips for happiness.

Sirpa Sarlio, an advisor at the government's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, explains why Finland became the first country in the world to offer free school meals, and why this ended up as a strong foundation on which to build a happy and healthy wider society. Back in London, Sheila visits diplomat and food enthusiast Markus Hippi, at the Finnish church and community centre in Rotherhithe, to hear how the UK compares in terms of food culture and happiness from the point of view of Finns living abroad.

Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.