Datenbank der Projekte zur ländlichen Entwicklung

A national project funded by the RDP is increasing the visibility and competitiveness of Finnish small and medium-sized food companies through the creation of a comprehensive website which targets different customers groups all over the country.

Local food businesses do not have big advertising budgets and, consequently, they are not very well known by customers in Finland. A network, composed of local authorities and local enterprises, has come together to improve the visibility and competitiveness of the sector. The ‘True Flavours’ website - www.aitojamakuja.fi – is being set up to disseminate information more effectively. The website provides information about the local food sector and contact details of food enterprises.

The main aim of the project is to develop the True Flavours website into a broad source of information about local food businesses in Finland. The wider objectives are to improve the competitiveness of the local food sector and to enhance networking between developers of the food sector and local and regional authorities.

The project is structured in three stages: i) a structural renewal of the website to increase functionality; ii) the creation of an information map about the sector in support of business activities; and iii) the use of communications activity to raise awareness. A cooperation network convenes a few times a year to define common policies for the development of the website.

As a result of the project, the website has already become a diverse source of food entrepreneurship information, serving many user groups. The website includes a comprehensive list of enterprises from all over Finland and the number of visitors is constantly increasing. The website is also having positive effects for the development of other sectors, such as tourism.

National and local development strategies should be designed in close cooperation by local and national authorities, in order to agree on common goals and actions which form a solid basis for progress at both national and local level. Regular meetings between public authorities and food companies proved to be very useful in creating a strong and active network, which provided local players with new cooperation opportunities.

The project is implemented by the University of Turku but enterprises in the entire country benefit from it.

Varsinais-Suomi

Mainland

380 000

171 000

209 000

https://www.aitojamakuja.fi

Päivi Töyli

paivi.toyli@utu.fi

+358 40 189 1929

English, Finnish, Swedish