Executive Summary Tartu 04/10/2005 Ronan GIRARD, ELO Executive Director This conference is part of a broader “PRINCE” programme supported by the Commission and elaborated by the European Landowners Organisation with the help of its members, today the Estonian Landowners Organisation with the cooperation of the Estonian Farmers Federation. A regional conference gathering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will take place in January 2006 before a European conference in Brussels with representative from all Member States. Today, our discussions show that Estonia is rich of its diversity, particularly concerning typical food products: cured meat, beer, wild berries, mushrooms, dairy products etc. Unfortunately these products are not known enough internally and externally. Numerous means can be used to market them: rural tourism, diversification of production, marketing, professional staff and more. The government works also in this way by implementing in the simplest way the EU food safety regulations so that producers respecting the new rules can have access to the EU market. Some support is also available, from the EU and from the Estonian government. The diversity of Estonian can be seen as a weakness. Small producers have difficulties to invest in order to be competitive. We have discussed the options available, particularly the need for partnership and professionalism. Two good examples were given today, one from Denmark about the organisation of a big dairy producer (Steengards) and one from Estonia about the gathering of small producers (E-Piim). Organic and good quality (not always organic) products are of course part of the solution. It is only half of the story, at any step of the production/selling line we need professionalism, not only for production but also for marketing, selling etc. Our conference today showed that union is a strength.