Charlotta Chorin
Meri Myntti
Ida-Maria Grandell
Jasmin Henrika Kauppi
Hanken School of Economics
Martin Fougere
Eva Nilsson
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Finland produces a lot of dairy products and Mö’s solution is to offer a locally produced alternative that is as close as possible to traditional dairy production. Mö uses top-quality Finnish oats in their production. With oats as the base of the product, less pollution is created than with regular milk production. Mö's focus is not only on production with lower emissions, but also the environment in which the production takes place in. The environment should not be damaged.
Mö was created by two sisters, Annamari and Marjaana Jukkola, in 2017. All Mö products are produced in Finland, in a small town called Lohtaja, using pure Finnish ingredients. So far, Mö produces three different oat-based products: Kaurarahku®, Kaurajogu®, and Mö Greek, the first oat-based drink Greek style cheese.
The main ideology behind Mö products is to make the products resemble traditional dairy products as closely as possible, as Annamari Jukkola, the CEO of Mö, says: “We are not only making the plant-based products as easy and simple as they can be done, but we really try to mimic the dairy process and the way that milk turns into different products, like yogurt and cheese.” The process starts with fresh oat milk, made from top-quality Finnish oats. Then, to get the real flavors of traditional dairy products, specific micro sculptures are used to ferment the oat milk into yogurt or cheese.
Mö provides people with sustainable, healthy, plant-based food, that can be eaten with a good conscience. The company fights against climate change: using oat in food production creates significantly less greenhouse gas emissions compared to using for example traditional cow milk. Mö also focuses on ensuring that the production does not damage the environment unnecessarily and that the company’s greenhouse gas emissions are defined according to the standard of international GHG. Mö also focuses on responsible consumption and production since the goal is to inspire more and more consumers to choose plant-based alternatives.
The founder sisters, Annamari and Marjaana Jukkola, grew up on a dairy farm, surrounded by cows and other animals. Their parents had a milk plant, so the sisters saw closely how milk products were produced. The foundations for tasty dairy products stems strongly from childhood as Marjaana Jukkola explains: “We really want to take those childhood taste memories and bring them to this day in our own way.”
The main reason for founding Mö in 2017, was the growing anxiety about the climate crisis that was growing around the founders. They wanted to make a personal move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, and for them, food was an obvious solution for that. They were both in kind of a turning point in their life: Marjaana was still studying visual communication but did not see a career for example as a graphic designer, and Annamari, who had been studying food science and dairy technology, realized that she does not want to work at a dairy field. That was when the idea of own oat dairy was born. Marjaana Jukkola tells that one of the key reasons behind founding the company was the will to do their own part in helping the environment: “We needed to do something meaningful, and this was our solution. Now we have a true reason to exist and do this work, and we really believe it gives this world something.”
Environmental benefits are the core values for Mö. Plant-based products are in the key position towards more sustainable future. Mö benefits the environment with SDG #12: responsible consumption and production, and SDG #13: climate action. The company does not only tackle the environmental questions but the societal too. It provides individuals with good health and well-being (SDG #3) with healthy, plant-based alternatives for everyday diet.
Mö is a clear Finnish forerunner for oat dairy -industry. It is a quite small start-up company that competes against big, multinational companies. However, it has shown that no matter how small or new a company is, it can find a way into consumers’ hearts: for example, Mö Greek, which was launched in spring 2022, is already settled in as an ingredient in coffee shop chain Espresso House’s salads and baguettes. Mö products are also sold outside Finland, in Nordic countries, which clearly shows the great growth potential the company has.
Mö is the first Finnish producer of pure oat dairy, they give the customers a chance to buy domestic products. The founders of Mö emphasize that increasing revenue is not their main goal; they would rather focus on the ecological aspects of their products. Turnover has risen since they started, steadily upwards, and the owners has emphasized that they will continue to grow. They have also made their first expansion internationally and they will continue to focus on that.
Mö manages to keep loyal customers by developing new products, actively engaging people on their social media and by communicating openly and listening to customers' feedback. Mö has also taken part in various events to reach even those who don’t use social media. Mö has also managed to have the price of their products at the same level as similar products in the stores. Mö's success is a result of their strategy; a new positioning, clear values, and competitive advantages.
The environmental and social effects of Mö impact several fields. The product packaging is carefully done with ecological solutions as it is made from renewable materials and packed in Finland. This also contributes to jobs as well as it is a social benefit. Their Kaurajogu 400-gram cups for example have 50 percent less plastic than other manufacturers. The production chain doesn't have side streams and contributes to a sustainable product chain.
The product itself is in turn an innovative solution for several aspects of sustainability. Oats in their products reduce carbon footprints, which in turn militates climate change. Due to Mö's production of products with lower emissions, they save natural resources and reach the SDG #12.
Mö minimizes environmental harm in many ways and improves human health with their products. An example of this was when Mö started their operations, and instead of building a new factory, they used an old dairy. The founders also emphasize that oat production uses only ten percent of the water that the milk industry use.
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Mö is Finland's first and only oat dairy. Mö's goal is to be a forerunner of sustainable food production to protect the environment. The goal is reached with their innovative plant-based products you will find in your convenience store, for example, yoghurt and quark. Their ambition is to reach the normal “milk consumers”. The company's idea addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) #3, #12, and #13.