Membership and fees

The Association of Academic Agronomists is an umbrella organization for academic food chain experts. We perceive the food chain as a broad field of activity extending from primary production to choice of food and its nutritional and environmental effects. The chain comprises many links and the expertise it requires is extensive.

Most of the members have completed – or are in the process of completing – university degrees in food, domestic, agricultural or nutritional sciences, all fields that apply the findings of basic research. The opportunities for specialisation are numerous, such as applied economics, applied biology, applied chemistry and biochemistry, and microbiology.

Membership in the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists is personal, but the Association also includes branches which its members can choose to join.

There are educational branches based on the field of study, as well as local branches. They welcome all members of the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists who meet the branch-specific membership criteria. Members can join these branches in conjunction with joining the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists or later by informing the Association’s office by e-mail at toimisto(at)agronomiliitto.fi.

One member can belong to several branches. The branches’ membership fees are collected with the membership fee of the Association once a year in February. The membership fees vary between EUR 5 and 85 per year.

Educational branches:
Elintarvike-ekonomistit (food economists),
Kuluttajaekonomistit ja teknologit COTES (consumer economists and technologists),
Naisagronomit (female agronomists),
Puutarha-agronomit (gardening agronomists), and
Ravitsemusterapeuttien yhdistys RTY (Association of nutritional therapists).

Local branches:
Etelä-Karjalan agronomit (South Karelia),
Etelä-Pohjanmaan agronomit (South Ostrobothnia),
Etelä-Savon agronomit (South Savonia),
Kainuun agronomit (Kainuu),
Kanta-Hämeen agronomit (Tavastia Proper),
Keski-Pohjanmaan agronomit (Central Ostrobothnia),
Keski-Suomen agronomit (Central Finland),
Lapin agronomit (Lapland),
Lounais-Hämeen agronomit (Southwest Tavastia),
Pirkanmaan agronomit (Tampere region),
Pohjois-Karjalan agronomit (North Karelia),
Pohjois-Pohjanmaan agronomit (North Ostrobothnia),
Pohjois-Savon agronomit (North Savonia),
Päijät-Hämeen agronomit (Päijänne Tavastia),
Satakunnan agronomit (Satakunta),
Södra Finlands agronomer (Southern Finland’s Swedish-speaking agronomists),
Uudenmaan agronomit (Uusimaa),
Varsinais-Suomen agronomit (Southwest Finland), and
Österbottens agronomer (Ostrobothnia’s Swedish-speaking agronomists).

Membership Fee

Membership fee for year 2024 is 395 EUR (32,92 EUR per month). This includes the fee for membership of the unemployment fund Erko. Members who join during the year pay a fee corresponding to the number of whole calendar months remaining in the year.

All membership fees are tax-deductible. We send details of membership fee payments directly to the tax authority.

Membership fee categories and fees in 2024

The membership fee is invoiced twice a year. The invoice is sent to the member’s home address or to the bank as an e-invoice. There are five membership fee categories, which are applied on the basis of the member’s status at the moment of invoicing.

1) Personal membership fee EUR 395
2) Special membership fee EUR 197,50
3) Students’ membership fee EUR 15 (no membership in the unemployment fund) / EUR 90 (incl. the unemployment fund’s fee)
4) New graduates’ (members who graduated in (1-12 kk) membership fee EUR 90, 13-24 kk membership fee EUR 197,50). (If you are unemployed, please contact the Association.) 
5) Seniors’ membership fee EUR 85 (no membership in the unemployment fund).

If the member belongs to any educational or local branches, the membership fees of these branches are invoiced with the membership fee instalment in February. The second membership instalment is due for payment in September.

Special membership fee

The special membership fee can be applied to farmers and other entrepreneurs, members who work abroad the whole year, newly graduated members (during the calendar year following their graduation) and, upon a written application, members who would belong to the personal membership category but can prove that they have not had any regular salary or grant income due to unemployment, parental leave, childcare leave, job alternation leave, military service, post-graduate studies, sick leave, or another such reason, for a minimum period of six months.

Service forms are available for printing out on the website. The completed service form must be submitted to the Association by 1 December each year.

Additional applicable discounts

One of the following discounts can be granted from the personal membership fee:

• Spousal discount of EUR 25 to one member of a married or co-habiting couple
• Discount of 25 percent to members of the Akava affiliates Union of Finnish University Professors and Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers (a corresponding discount from these unions’ membership fees is also applicable)
• A discount of EUR 66 to members who do not wish to have unemployment security through the unemployment fund Erko.

Further rules applied to membership fees

Members who join the Association during the year are only charged the remaining months’ membership fee (based on 1/12 calculation). Members who have resigned or have been discharged from the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists and rejoined within two years are charged a re-entry fee of EUR 20 in addition to the regular membership fee.

Collection of the membership fee

The membership fee is paid to the Association as a bank transfer, with an e-invoice or direct payment. The membership fee can be paid in one or two instalments. The membership fees of local and educational branches are collected with the first instalment.

Consequences of failure to pay the membership fee

Failure to pay the membership fee will result in suspension of access to all member services.

A member who fails to pay the membership fee will be discharged from membership. This may also result in termination of unemployment fund membership.

Applying for a special membership fee

A free-form application of transfer to the special membership fee category must be submitted to the Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists by 1 December or before the due date of the second instalment. The application must contain appendices that confirm the six-month period of having no income. If the six-month period is divided between two calendar years, the discount is applied to the latter year’s membership fee.

Up-to-date member information

The applicable membership fee category is always determined on the basis of the member’s status according to the information contained in the member register at the moment of invoicing. Therefore, members should always ensure that their membership details are up to date. This concerns all cases, including couples, double memberships, foreign residents, retiring members, graduates, etc.

The Association should be immediately informed of all changes by e-mail at toimisto(at)agronomiliitto.fi. This ensures the correct membership fee determination.

More information

Further information about membership fees can be requested from Satu Vainio, satu.vainio(at)agronomiliitto.fi, tel. +358 9 2511 1651.