Estonia’s farm-to-fork journey: How local innovation is strengthening food security

The European Union published its Farm to Fork Strategy in 2020. The strategy outlined the desired actions for the EU member states to build resilient food systems both locally and globally. Its aim was to ensure a sufficient and varied supply of safe, nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to citizens always.

Here are two Estonian examples of how local food producers connect with consumers and drive innovation in food production. That contributes to building food security in the country and increasing the competitiveness of local producers and entrepreneurs. They did it with the help of Interreg programmes, promoting the European territorial cooperation. In their cooperation projects, they looked for solutions to food security and sustainability with their European partners.

Improving Baltic cuisine: How local chefs and farmers are innovating

Most chefs prefer fresh, locally sourced ingredients over imported ones. Healthy and sustainable food is the obvious choice. However, local products must be affordable, easily accessible, and simple to transport.

For Kerli Nõges from the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, establishing links between farmers and chefs or restaurant owners was the key to making it happen. This is why Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture together with Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce and Estonian Rural Tourism Association were ready to take leading roles in coordinating the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project Baltic Sea Food. With 14 other partners from ten countries from around the Baltic Sea involved in the project, they focused on facilitating local food sales and elevating the Baltic Sea regional culinary experience. As a result, they have put a lot of effort to shorten the farm-to-fork journey and encouraged chefs in Estonia and other countries around the Baltic Sea to tell the stories of the local products they serve proudly.

An in-depth analysis of local food distribution and success stories from several regions helped partners develop a business model that can be replicated across food networks. Each country also created an online platform to better connect chefs and farmers.

The Estonian platform is still active, helping farmers, food producers and restaurants connect, sometimes just a short distance apart. ’I’ve found many good partners with whom I managed to enrich the customers' experiences. Along with farmers, the ideas for the menus are coming. The more restaurants and farmers find their way there, the better the possibilities are to introduce our heritage and culinary traditions,’ explains Taigo Lepik, President of the Association of Estonian Chefs.

Kerli values highly the access to expert knowledge of how the local food networks have been built up outside Estonia as a very valuable outcome of the pilot activities: ‘This exchange is priceless.’ Merle Vall, CEO of cooperative Taluturg, where one of the pilot activities took place, agrees: ‘Participating in the project gave me a deeper understanding of serving business customers. A comprehensive analysis was made of our business model, where new elements were introduced, which I still use in my daily work from time to time.’

More than 800 local food producers, farmers, restaurants, farm shops, and tourism farms joined the project to improve their local culinary offerings. Nearly 4 000 SMEs and 330 food networks learned about new possibilities enabled by the Baltic Sea Food project.

Inspired by the project, Estonia has integrated the cooperation element to its national strategic plan for common agricultural policy. ‘We’ve understood that chefs are our important partners in making local Estonian products better known,’ Kerli explains. This is why a new element was introduced in the support measure for the development of short supply chains and local markets, which facilitates contacts between farmers and chefs.

The links and personal contacts established within and outside the partnership have been of great value. Kerli is also confident that there wouldn’t be as much cooperation between the local chefs and the local food producers without Interreg. ‘Like in Tallinn today, we have a solid culinary scene, famous spots awarded Michelin stars, and many restaurants across Estonia that tell inspiring stories about local products. I think we’re in a good place.’

Science-driven innovation for healthier food

Tartu County is a region outside the Estonian capital area of Tallinn. Food producers and entrepreneurs there also strive to contribute to the country’s food security and economic growth. They turned to research and innovation to make their local food sector stronger, focusing especially on the production of healthy food.

To support local SMEs involved in the healthy food production better, the Tartu Science Park Foundation joined forces with six partners from Finland, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom in the Interreg Europe NICHE project. They brought to Tartu many innovative ideas and good practices from the other parts of Europe.

The FoodOvation Center in the United Kingdom is a very good example of innovation linked to food production. Research and development institutions in Tartu County built on this example to help local food entrepreneurs in their new healthy products’ development. The scientists have been providing local artisan food producers and SMEs with technical know-how during their new healthy food products’ development and testing. The Helde range of mixed grain porridges is one of the first local healthy food products created in cooperation with scientists from the BioCC OÜ Biocompetence Centre and the University of Tartu.

Another source of inspiration for Tartu was the Greek model of Agronutritional cooperation in Crete. It shaped the activities of the South-Estonian food network established in 2016. The network facilitates cooperation between professional associations and offers services linked to the promotion and distribution of quality products in hotels, restaurants, provision chains, and produce and public markets. The food network is growing and 26 municipalities from South Estonia take part in it.

Every year, the network brings together over 120 local SMEs, startups, research and development institutions, and business support organisations at the South-Estonian Food Conference. The conference is a great place to share the latest know-how and experience on different topics linked to healthy food. Past editions covered issues such as branding, marketing, packaging, product development, or how to get local food to restaurants, cafes and schools in the region. Local producers can also showcase their products at the conference.

After the conference in 2020, the Tartu City Government introduced a new criterium to their project ‘Tasty Tartu’, happening every year in Tartu since 2017. Restaurants applying for participation were expected to use ‘as much local produce as possible in their dishes.’ The City of Tartu has a food festival this year as well.

Also, for the development of Tartu county food region, a new initiative has been created: Tartu County Food Region and Network. Tartu county food network’s particularity is the existing potential of science and innovation based on universities and development organisations active in the field.

Ideas from the cooperation project NICHE became part of the Tartu County’s Development Strategy 2040. There are several actions in support of SMEs and innovation inspired by the project. One focuses directly on the ‘enhancement of local food (including organic food) and the environment: product development and initiation and support of marketing projects.’ With this strategy, Tartu County set out on the path towards better support to food-related SMEs and a stronger local food sector. Tartu County became the Estonian food region of 2025.

Nourishing networks, strengthening food systems

Interreg projects do more than just connect farmers with chefs or researchers with food entrepreneurs. They create lasting networks that strengthen local food security for years to come.