Date of label : 29/10/2024
This image depicts a bustling indoor market or fair, likely focused on food and local products.
Summary
To develop Tartu (EE) county’s food region, the ‘Tartu County Food Strategy 2022-2030’ and a food network were created. Over 100 representatives from different sectors contribute to the strategy process, forming an expanding local food network that includes farmers, SMEs, and large companies (producers, caterers, retailers), universities, R&D institutions, local governments, event organisers, and NGOs. Tartu County has launched information platforms for both internal and external communication, organised capacity-building events, and started to build a brand for the food region. Numerous activities and projects are underway in the food region, to boost innovation and create a healthy and sustainable food system.
The solutions offered by the Good Practice
Tartu County has implemented the Tartu County Food Strategy 2022-2030 for three years, achieving most action plan goals for 2022-2025. Information platforms for both internal and external communication are active, along with regular webinars, and information-exchange study trips within Tartu County and to other food regions.
Tartu County created a common brand -Tirin for food events and Tartumaine Toit for food producers and caterers - for marketing and use on food products. The county is negotiating with big retail chains to stock items from small local producers with more visibility. Research on Tartu County’s food history (9000 B.C.–1940) will be used in product development and food region marketing, including traditional local recipe competitions, training, exhibitions, and a book on gastronomic heritage.
Many activities and projects are ongoing in the food region, both in food innovation and building a healthy and sustainable food system, but there is scope for greater SME involvement to boost innovation and to educate households about healthy diets and reducing food waste. There is also a need for a horticulture producers’ cooperative to improve storage and capacity to participate in public procurement.
Building on the sustainable and integrated urban approach
Through its local food strategy, Tartu County is tackling urban challenges in an integrated way through its strategic goals:
- Exchanging information among different stakeholders.
- Building a common brand.
- Developing and deploying innovative and science-based solutions.
- Promoting conscious consumption of healthy and local food.
Knowledge sharing helps build a stronger community, where people can participate and feel empowered, and helps boost the local economy to prevent social problems in both urban and rural environments.
Promoting local food and food producers with a common brand enhances food safety, gives local communities an identity to be proud of, and expands business opportunities. Local food has a smaller environmental footprint, through reduced ‘food miles’, is more valued so reduces food waste, and being of high quality supports healthier lifestyles.
Using the region’s scientific and innovation capacities adds value to local food products. It enables resources, including water, soil, agricultural raw products, and the region’s qualified workforce, to be used more efficiently and sustainably, to produce high-quality products that can be sold for a better price.
Based on participatory approach
Tartu County’s food network involves more than 110 different companies and organisations from the region, with most of them also contributing to the strategy’s development. The network includes farmers, food industry companies, small producers, caterers, tourism and food networks, event organisers, Tartu County’s local governments, education and research establishments, and retail chains.
The county closely cooperates with the Association of Municipalities of Tartu County, Tartu Vocational College (the region’s largest food-related school), the NGO Meelte Kool (sensory food education), local municipalities, the Estonian Agricultural Museum, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu Biotechnology Park, the NGO Sibulatee, European Cultural Capital Tartu 2024, and Foundation Visit South Estonia. They are all working together to develop the food region.
In addition, the local food network has connections with all of the region’s food sector institutions. Tartu County shares daily information updates, organises project meetings when needed, and hosts an annual cooperation seminar.
What difference has it made?
Ninety people representing different stakeholders founded Tartu’s local food network. In June 2024, membership had grown to about 115 different companies and organisations, with 140 people on the mailing list. The network is growing, particularly among farmers and food producers.
Eighteen companies are involved in a short supply-chain project, which in 2023-2024 participated in 18 fairs. In spring 2023, social media channels were started which now have around 1 000 followers, with META posts reaching more than 470 300 people.
Over the last two years, there have been more than 50 food-related events, with over 8 000 participants and about 250 media mentions. There have been six network study trips with 143 participants, 16 webinars with 122 participants, and one cooperation seminar with 56 participants. The 2025 action plan target of 100 active members was exceeded, with more than 167 unique participants at events (about 60 participated in more than two activities). Collaboration between stakeholders has grown, and the wider audience is more aware of local companies and events.
Why this Good Practice should be transferred to other cities
As the planet’s population nears 8 billion, and with growing urbanisation, cities face multiple challenges, like providing citizens with clean air, sufficient food, employment and housing. These priorities are outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda.
A new approach to European food and agricultural policies can promote job creation and economic recovery in inter-linked rural and urban areas. Connecting rural and urban policies can also develop rural economies, enable more young people to set up in business, enhance social inclusion, reduce poverty, and improve territorial cohesion.
Reducing food loss and waste, for instance, generates a triple win: saving money, feeding more people, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The practice is easily transferable, with little modification. For successful replication it will require:
- A city connected to rural areas with primary production.
- At least one project manager responsible for the transfer, preferably with an assistant.
- Motivated stakeholders from different sectors, such as NGOs, R&D institutions, entrepreneurs, and local governments.
- The organisation of meetings, seminars and study trips.
- An overarching food strategy in the city or region.
Although Tartu County’s local food network strategy has not yet been transferred, they have shared their approach with guests from Seinäjoki (Finland), Vidzeme (Latvia), Asturia (Spain), Warmia (Poland), and other regions.