Summary
This paper reviews the long-term outcomes of Finland's national policy, introduced in 1984, of adding inorganic selenium to mineral fertilisers in response to widespread selenium deficiency in soils and the population. The review documents how selenium levels in crops, animal feed, food products and human serum changed substantially over several decades as a result of the intervention. It is widely cited as one of the few national-scale examples of agronomic biofortification successfully translating into measurable improvements in population nutritional status.
Regional applicability
The UK shares some geological similarities with Finland in terms of low soil selenium availability, particularly in upland and acid soil regions, and UK dietary selenium intakes have declined since the shift away from high-selenium North American wheat imports. Finland's experience offers a directly relevant policy precedent for considering selenium biofortification of fertilisers or targeted supplementation strategies in the UK.
Key measures
Selenium concentration in fertilisers (mg/kg); selenium content in cereals, animal products and human serum (µg/L or µg/kg); population selenium intake estimates; GPx activity
Outcomes reported
The programme successfully corrected population-level selenium deficiency and achieved optimal selenium status, with a 3–4× rise in food selenium and population serum selenium restored to adequate range.
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