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The owner of Metsavenna Farm Meelis Mõttus selling
sõir cheese at a local food fair, 2018.
THE USE OF EUROPEAN UNION
INSTRUMENTS FOR BRANDING
AND LABELLING REGIONAL FOOD
PRODUCTS IN ESTONIA
Ester Bardone, Anu Kannike
Acta geographica Slovenica, 62-2, 2022, 63–74
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1 University of Tartu, Department of Ethnology, Tartu, Estonia
ester.bardone@ut.ee (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1361-0767)
2 Estonian National Museum, Tartu, Estonia
anu.kannike@erm.ee
64
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.10504
UDC: 338.439.02:658.626(474.2)
COBISS: 1.01
Ester Bardone1, Anu Kannike2
The use of European Union instruments for branding and labelling regional food
products in Estonia
ABSTRACT: The article examines how European Union rural development measures and food quality
schemes are used for creating added value to regional food products in Estonia. In order to understand
these processes, national food and heritage policies are analysed to highlight a lack of national instruments
that would protect and promote regional specialities. The emergence of regional brands (funded by the
European Union LEADER measure) is an example of an initiative to increase the visibility of regional prod-
ucts and food culture on the domestic market and to brand the region. Another attempt for recognising
and re-regionalising local specialities is the application for the European Union Protected Geographical
Indications (PGI) label for a traditional cheese sõir in south-eastern Estonia.
KEY WORDS: regional food, food policies, heritage policies, geographical indications, food quality labels,
Estonia
Uporaba instrumentov Evropske unije za znamčenje in označevanje regionalnih
živilskih izdelkov v Estoniji
POVZETEK: Članek preučuje, kako se ukrepi Evropske unije za razvoj podeželja in sheme kakovosti hrane
uporabljajo za ustvarjanje dodane vrednosti regionalnim živilskim izdelkom v Estoniji. Da bi razumeli te
procese, smo analizirali nacionalne politike o hrani in dediščini. Prepoznali smo pomanjkanje nacionalnih
instrumentov za zaščito in spodbudo regionalnih posebnosti. Pojav regionalnih blagovnih znamk, finan-
ciranih z ukrepom Evropske unije LEADER, je primer pobude za povečanje prepoznavnosti regionalnih
proizvodov in prehranske kulture na domačem trgu ter za znamčenje regije. V članku predstavljamo tudi
drugačen poskus prepoznavanja in ponovne regionalizacije lokalnih posebnosti, in sicer prijavo za oznako
zaščitene geografske označbe Evropske unije za tradicionalni sir sõir v jugovzhodni Estoniji.
KLJUČNE BESEDE: regionalna hrana, prehranske politike, politike dediščine, geografske oznake, oznake
kakovosti hrane, Estonija
The article was submitted for publication on December 21st, 2021.
Uredništvo je prejelo prispevek 21. decembra 2021.
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1 Introduction 
In the global food system, indicating the origin of food products is not just about localisation; it also cre-
ates connections and trust between producers and consumers, often enables consumers to support regional
development, and adds symbolic value to products through stories related to traditions, geography, and
production. Almost every product that has some connection with a certain region (either historical, con-
structed, or both) can be sold as an embodiment of the taste of this place (Bell and Valentine 1997). Thus,
regional (or local) food products and culinary experiences are significant tools in region branding
(Tellström, Gustafsson and Mossberg 2006). Previous research has demonstrated the importance of small-
scale food producers often operating in peripheral rural areas as key agents of a regional food scene (Tregear
et al. 2007). Their products are usually artisanal regional specialities, some also niche market products,
which are marketed as »localised foods« (Bérard and Marchenay 2008), in contrast to »placeless« stan-
dardised foods available on the mass market.
In the European context, regional foods can be considered as food products and raw produce origi-
nating from a specific geographical area predominantly associated with certain traditions of production
(Bryła 2015; Florek and Gazda 2021). Place-based labels highlight the connection between food and place
and emphasise the nonmaterial qualities of products, the values related to communities where the prod-
uct comes from (Parasecoli 2017). The branding of food products happens at different levels (international,
national, sub-national) and accordingly reflects different understandings of regional food. For instance,
Geographical Indications (GIs) in the European Union rely on the French concept of terroir – intercon-
nectedness between the place of production, producers’ knowledge and skills, and historical tradition (Bérard
and Marchenay 2008). In Northern and Eastern Europe, national policies may focus on other food qual-
ity assurance schemes not based on terroir (Sadílek 2020) or products that are made by local producers
in a particular geographical area, not necessarily related to culinary traditions, may also be considered region-
al foods (Holt and Amilien 2007). Despite the ambivalence of the concepts of ‘region’ and ‘regional food’
(Paasi 2003; Spiller and Tschofen 2017; Pícha et al. 2018) it can be argued that looking at regions in terms
of food can fruitfully add to debates on regionality. This enables us to analyse how characteristics of a cul-
tural-geographical region are expressed in its food culture (heritage) and how the production of regional
foods is related to territorial identity and regional development (cf. Ray 1998; Pollice 2003).
The article examines how regional initiatives as well as national and EU policies intermingle in the
case of branding and labelling regional food products in Estonia. We focus on (a) how the existing nation-
al food quality and heritage management instruments reflect state policies regarding regional food
culture; (b) what have been the principles for creating regional brands for food products, using the EU
LEADER funding; (c) how the application for the EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label of
a traditional south-eastern Estonian cheese sõir reflects regional producers’ needs and expectations regard-
ing regional food heritage.
2 Food quality labels and regional food brands in Estonia
Food quality labels used on the Estonian market belong to three main categories: national labels for the
local market issued by producers’ organisations, which emphasise either the Estonian origin of the raw
produce or Estonian production; regional food quality labels that are issued by local rural developmen-
tal organisations (Local Action Groups – LAGs) funded by the EU LEADER measure; and European Union
food quality labels such as Geographical Indications. In the official and public discourse, the terms ‘region-
al food’, ‘food heritage’, and ‘local food’ are often used inconsistently (Kannike and Bardone 2021).
Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and has implemented the activities funded by the LEADER measure
which have been integrated with the Rural Development Plan since 2007. Local food was a developmen-
tal priority in the Estonian Rural Development Plan through the LEADER measure in 2007–2013, which
resulted in establishing multiple local food networks, farmers’ markets, cooperation projects, and 4 region-
al food brands by 4 LAGs. Currently there are 26 LAGs in Estonia; however, most of them are not focusing
on the promotion of local food. Six regional food brands established by local LAGs exist in 2022, and the
respective products are marked with specific quality labels. These food brands primarily emphasise the
local origin of production or (less frequently) the local origin of raw produce, and rarely the connection
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Figure 1: The study area Võru County marked within the contours of the territory of Estonia (Wikimedia Commons, 2017).
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of the product with the food culture traditions in the region. Currently a PGI label has been given to only
two products in Estonia (Estonian Vodka – registered in 2019; sõir, a traditional curd cheese – registered
in 2021). In general, the GIs are unfamiliar among Estonian producers and consumers alike, as they are
rather accustomed to national food quality labels (Lepane et al. 2016).
3 Methods and research area
In terms of national agricultural and heritage policies, the research area is Estonia. For two case studies
we focus on two cultural-historical regions in south-eastern Estonia – Võrumaa and Setumaa – which today
administratively belong to Võru County. The territory of Võru County is 2,773 km2 and it includes five
municipalities; in 2022 the population is ca 35,000 inhabitants (the total population of Estonia is ca 1.3
million) and it is ethnically homogenous. In terms of economy, the contribution of Võru County is rather
marginal. The area is mainly rural and its main economic sectors are forestry and wood processing, food
industry, and tourism. In the article we use the term Võrumaa (or Setumaa) because these names are used
by the local communities. We chose examples from these regions because of their strong regional identi-
ty, which is supported and promoted by two state-funded research and development institutions, Võro
Institute and Seto Institute. These regions enabled us to study the dynamics of different food quality labelling
systems supported by the EU rural policies and food quality schemes.
The data was collected in 2017–2021, using qualitative methods; also, we partly drew on the materi-
als of our previous fieldwork conducted in 2010–2013. We mainly relied on informal correspondence with
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different types of actors in the food sector, as well as field notes from observations at events and minutes
of meetings. We also conducted semi-structured and conversational interviews with food producers, cater-
ers, and tourism entrepreneurs (n=6), local food developers from a LEADER LAGs Võrumaa Partnership
assembly (n=3), local heritage experts (n=2), and state officials (n=4) responsible for implementing food
policies at the Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs. (It should be noted that some local actors simultaneously
belong to several groups.) Additionally, we examined various publicly accessible documents (e.g., devel-
opment plans, statutes, specifications), media texts, and websites. We applied thematic analysis (Ayres 2008),
combining document analysis with triangulation (Bowen 2009). Ethnographical methods enabled us to
gain insight into different actors’ intentions, interpretations, and attitudes, which was complemented by
our analysis of documents and media texts. The latter shed additional light on the institutional and organ-
isational practices and discourses related to food quality labelling schemes.
4 Results
4.1 State policies
In Estonia, the Ministry of Rural Affairs is the state body responsible for agriculture and food. In the vision
document, »Estonian Food 2015–2020«, regional food is mentioned as a developmental challenge and a pri-
ority (Eesti Põllumajandusministeerium 2014). The document states that »food cultures and ideologies
in different regions are not clearly defined and therefore regional characteristics are not considered« (Eesti
Põllumajandusministeerium 2014, 7). Consequently, the priority should be »developing and introducing
regional cuisines that bring into focus the distinctiveness of diverse regions in Estonia and their food her-
itage« (Eesti Põllumajandusministeerium 2014, 11). Thus, food heritage is acknowledged to be an
important characteristic of regional food distinguishing one region from another. Yet, to achieve this goal,
only some initiatives have been launched by the state, most significant of which being the yearly nomina-
tion of a food region since 2016. The territory of these food regions does not overlap with the administrative
regions but is based on a cultural-historical region composed of multiple municipalities or, in some cases,
an invented region is created and managed by several LEADER LAGs. The title Food Region of the Year
has served mainly a marketing purpose for making a region’s food products and catering services more
visible for the domestic as well as foreign consumers through various thematic events and activities through-
out a year (see Kannike et al. 2021). Local bodies that manage food region activities are development
organisations (NGOs) partly funded by state and EU measures (LEADER LAGs). One of the main goals
of the Food Region of the Year is to promote local foods and improve their availability in cafes, restau-
rants, shops, and events. The Ministry expects the selected food region to highlight the stories related to
local foodstuffs and dishes, although the terms ‘traditions’ or ‘heritage’ are not used and no specific value
criteria are set for regional food (see https://eestitoit.ee/en). Some regions have had a regional brand for food
products before the nomination, others do not have a brand or a label but emphasise regional speciality in
their marketing messages.
The relative indifference of Estonian producers and consumers towards the EU food quality labels is
related to national food policies. A survey conducted among different actors of the Estonian food sector
in 2016 demonstrated that respondents’ knowledge about the possibilities of applying for EU quality labels
in Estonia was limited; they did not fully understand the functions and potential of these labels. This study
suggested that producers would need »strong state-level support and consultation« to successfully apply
for the EU food quality labels (Ahermaa and Nittim 2016). According to our research this has not been
implemented. On the one hand, officials acknowledge that the application process for EU quality labels
is challenging for producers and there should be more applications. On the other hand, the Ministry has
not demonstrated initiative to lead the process or give systematic and professional support (for example,
legal advice). Consequently, producers or other stakeholder groups who may lack the resources needed
for a successful application have taken the responsibility so far.
In addition to food qualification instruments and regulations, there are also »heritage regimes« (Bendix,
Eggert and Peselmann 2013) that transform traditional regional foods and related knowledge and skills into
heritage items, using inventory as a tool of heritagisation. In 2006 Estonia joined the UNESCO Convention
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2010 the Ministry of Culture established the
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Estonian Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). From 2010 until 2021, almost 30 cooking or
eating practices were inscribed into the Inventory by local experts and enthusiasts, highlighting not just
the recipe or the dish itself but related knowledge and skills as the ICH. Our previous research has demon-
strated that the inventory is little known among the general public and entrepreneurs in the food and tourism
sector do not see it as an instrument that would add symbolic value to their products or services; the inven-
tory has no political or legislative power (Kannike and Bardone 2021).
4.2 A regional brand Uma Mekk
Support to the emergence of short supply chains and marketing locally produced foods has been a prior-
ity of the EU rural policies within the last decades, which has been realised also through the LEADER measure
addressed to the development of rural regions (Regulation (EU) No. 1305/2013 of the European Parliament
and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development). Over the past decade, several initiatives for developing local food networks in Estonia have
been supported by the LEADER funding. The emphasis of developing local food networks has been on
creating short supply chains (e.g., farmers’ markets) and promoting food regions through the joint market-
ing of regional products. Additionally, there are other food networks operating in Estonia (e.g., a network
of direct food supply chains managed by an NGO).
Võrumaa region is one of the cultural-historical regions in south-eastern Estonia where local cultur-
al heritage is valued by several organisations, groups as well as individual heritage enthusiasts or experts.
However, conscious interest in the food heritage of the region emerged mainly in the past decade. A region-
al food brand Uma Mekk (Own Taste) was established in 2010, in cooperation between municipalities,
non-governmental organisations, and local enterprises, and is managed by a LAG Võrumaa Partnership
Assembly which defines Uma Mekk as a collective brand. This initiative was an outcome of a LEADER
measure project developing local food as part of the Rural Development Plan in Estonia 2007-2013. According
to the current development strategy of Võru County, Uma Mekk is considered one of the most successful
brands of the region (https://www.riigiteataja.ee/aktilisa/4160/3202/1009/Arengustrateegia%20lisa.pdf).
The name Uma Mekk comes from the regional dialect, highlighting the connection with this cultur-
al-historical region. The logo of the brand that is used both on sticker labels on products and in catering
establishments has a visually distinguishable design created by a local artist. The aim of the brand has been
to create better market opportunities for local micro-producers by organising Uma Mekk Food Fair in
November each year and supporting entrepreneurs’ participation at other food fairs and events in Estonia,
Figure 2: Logo of the regional brand Uma Mekk (left) and Micro-producers selling their Uma Mekk products at the Annual Uma Mekk Food Fair in November
2017 (right).
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helping producers to get access to retail sales at supermarket chains and creating marketing materials for Uma
Mekk products. Throughout the years coordinators of the LAG have organised training courses on product
development and marketing for local entrepreneurs as part of brand development activities. The statute for
awarding and use of the brand states that it is given to products that utilize at least 50% of their raw materi-
als from Võrumaa region or southern Estonia, or to dishes that use at least 50% of ingredients from the region
and the »cooking methods of which are characteristic of southern Estonian region, or which have been
traditionally prepared in this particular village, farm or family«. The brand can be assigned to single prod-
ucts, products’ series, to a single dish or the whole menu at a catering establishment (https://umamekk.ee/).
In 2020 almost 300 food products and 80 dishes or menus were given the right to use the Uma Mekk
brand logo, and each year about 10–50 new products are added. They belong to different categories, such
as juices and soft drinks (e.g., fermented birch sap, sea buckthorn juice), alcoholic beverages (e.g.,
sparkling cranberry wine, craft beers), herbs and teas (multiple mixes of locally harvested herbal teas), oils
(e.g., hemp oil), milk and cheese (e.g., fresh and mature goat cheeses), meat products (e.g., meat smoked
in the smoke sauna). There are also flours and seeds, bakery products, vegetables, fruits and berries, con-
serves and jams, and honey. A  local heritage tourism entrepreneur, who temporarily also acted as
a coordinator of the LAG, was critical of the criteria of the Uma Mekk brand, which refer to local raw pro-
duce rather than traditional knowledge or production practices. She found the selection of Uma Mekk
products too diverse and often not related to regional food heritage. Furthermore, Uma Mekk brand does
not have a special meaning for foreign consumers, unlike for locals who can recognise its label as an indi-
cator of products from Võrumaa region (Interview, August 15th, 2017).
The cultural heritage and identity of Võrumaa region are strongly related to the local dialect or Võro
regional language still used in everyday communication. Local food heritage has been described in great
ethnographic detail in a cookbook published in the Võro language in collaboration with Võro Institute,
local entrepreneurs, and heritage enthusiasts (Karu and Guerrin 2014). Once a year, in October, several
cafes and restaurants in the region offer a special Uma Mekk menu that highlights local and seasonal ingre-
dients; each place has the names of dishes written also in the local dialect. In an interview a local heritage
expert working at Võru Institute brings out that the Uma Mekk brand criteria are challenging for several
food producers or caterers who have difficulties demonstrating the connection of their products with the
local heritage and cultural context. In these cases, she or her colleagues have consulted entrepreneurs, helped
show the historical-cultural link, and described the product in the local dialect (Interview, July 14th, 2017).
The names and descriptions in the Võro language especially make regional products or dishes stand out
for domestic consumers, as compared to other food items.
Uma Mekk is not just a brand but also a food network as it involves multiple actors in the food and
hospitality sector and aims to facilitate joint marketing and cooperation between entrepreneurs. The first
coordinator of Uma Mekk network stressed: »We promote local food – it helps to sustain rural life.« But
she also admitted that the development of local food networks and cooperation between producers takes
time because cooperation should be built on trust (Allas 2012). Several years later another coordinator
acknowledged that entrepreneurs’ cooperation still needs to be supported and strengthened, and the added
value of the brand requires producers’ or caterers’ own effort to make it more visible and known. Furthermore,
she saw multiple possibilities for cooperative marketing, such as joint participation at food fairs, using each
other’s products (e.g., collaboration between restaurants and producers), or launching packages of mul-
tiple Uma Mekk products (e.g., gift baskets) (Frosch 2019). Although the goal of developing Uma Mekk
food network has been to establish a legal body (such as producers’ cooperative) responsible for the fur-
ther management of the brand, this has not happened in 10 years and the network still relies on the
developmental organisation and a coordinator.
4.3 Applying for the EU PGI label for a traditional regional cheese sõir
Currently, there are only two PGI products registered in Estonia. The European Commission approved
Estonian Vodka as a PGI in 2019. The second PGI product and the first agri-food product that was recog-
nised as a PGI in 2021 was a traditional curd cheese sõir. In the case of Estonian Vodka, the production
is limited to three producers who are eligible to use the name as they use ethyl alcohol made from locally
grown ingredients and water from Estonia (https://estonian-vodka.ee/en/). Thus, the geographical indi-
cation involves all the national territory, whereas in the case of sõir the production area in the product
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specification is limited to two cultural-historical regions in south-eastern Estonia – Vana-Võrumaa and
Setumaa.
The name sõir refers to a traditional unripened cooked curdled milk cheese. It is made with butter and
eggs, using caraway seeds for flavouring. According to the PGI specification, traditional production does
not use rennet, industrial starter cultures, food additives, aromas, or colouring (Publication of an applica-
tion for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European
Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, 2021/C 46/08).
Similar cheeses exist in Latvia and Lithuania, where they are strongly related to ethnic and national cuisines,
although in all the Baltic countries the recipes of curd cheeses vary slightly by region and even between
households (Blumberg and Micyte 2016). The word sõir originates from the south-eastern Estonian dialect.
Historically, sõir has been prepared in households and this custom is still alive in some families. Except
for a short period in the 1960s (in Soviet Estonia), sõir has not been produced industrially. As a commercial
product sõir was re-introduced to the local market about ten years ago. Today sõir is produced mainly by
micro-producers who are not represented by any producers’ organisations. Overall, there were seven entre-
preneurs behind the PGI application that was initiated by one of them in 2017 and ended with the registration
in 2021. The Ministry of Rural Affairs provided minimum support in the process of application, all nec-
essary documents were compiled by a food technologist and a regional cultural heritage expert from Võro
Institute; as food heritage experts, we also participated in the writing and editing process of the applica-
tion.
Sõir made by three producers can be purchased at farmers’ markets and fairs, in some local shops, and
in a small number of supermarket chains all over Estonia; other entrepreneurs sell their sõir only at local
fairs, tourism facilities, and cafeterias. Hence, currently sõir is a product made for the local market, not
for export. Why would small-scale producers of a niche product be interested in going for the EU geo-
graphical indication that involves a complex application procedure if they are not planning to reach foreign
Figure 3: Sõir produced by Metsavenna Farm. On the package, three food quality signs are used: EU Organic Label, EU PGI label, and regional label Uma
Mekk.
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markets soon? One of the main initiators behind the application, Mr. Tiit Niilo, owner of Nopri Dairy Farm,
stated in an interview: »All kinds of cheese-like products with caraway seeds are sold in Estonia, using
the name sõir on their label. It is not correct in many senses – the consumer is not getting what they are
looking for, and for those making genuine sõir it is an unfair competition« (Rahman 2018). Thus, getting
the PGI label for sõir was not aimed at becoming more competitive on the EU market but mainly on the
domestic market. However, at the meetings in which product specification was discussed, some produc-
ers of the stakeholder group expressed different understandings about what authentic sõir is, and some
did not consider others’ products genuine or questioned their recipe or methods of production. Ideas about
domestic production and family traditions conflicted with the standardisation and production methods
needed in the commercial production. The final technological description of sõir in the specification doc-
ument was a result of amendments and compromises.
The application for the PGI for sõir can be characterised as an attempt to re-regionalise a food prod-
uct, emphasising that sõir is a regional not a national speciality. Previously sõir was acknowledged as part
of Estonian national culinary heritage. Since the mid-20th century it has been made and consumed every-
where in the country (mainly for non-commercial purposes) and has been included as a national dish in
several cookbooks of Estonian cuisine. The PGI application aimed at reconnecting sõir as a commercial
product with particular regions in Estonia, thereby reminding about its importance as regional cultural
heritage. According to the EU legislation, a PGI designates a product produced in a defined geographi-
cal area, and it must have a particular reputation related to its geographical origin. The geographical origin
of sõir from two cultural-historical regions was emphasised from the beginning but it created several fric-
tions during the application process. The first version of the PGI application aimed to protect the name
»Vana-Võromaa and Setomaa sõir«, thereby including geography in the name of the product. After the
application was submitted in 2018, an EU official responded that such a name cannot be registered because
it is not used in commerce or everyday communication. On the national market, mainly the general term
sõir is used. Thus, although the producers and compilers of the application thought that using place names
in the name of the product would create a clear link between the geographical origin and the product (cf.
Coppa di Parma, Emmental de Savoie), this did not fit with the EU PGI requirements. Therefore, the name
sõir could be registered as a PGI. However, in the specification the geographical territory where sõir can
be produced is limited to the two regions only. Other Estonian producers cannot use sõir for similar cheeses
but must choose an alternative name. 
To understand producers’ motives for seeking EU protection to their traditional regional product, the
context of the existing food quality and cultural heritage protection instruments in Estonia should be con-
sidered (cf. Ledinek Lozej 2021). The brand Uma Mekk was already given to several dairy producers making
sõir. Additionally, the sõir-making tradition in the cultural-historical region Old Võrumaa has been described
in the Estonian Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010 (https://rahvakultuur.ee/2020/03/24/soira-
tegemine-vana-voromaal/). Yet, according to the producers who initiated the PGI application, the existing
food quality and heritage policies in Estonia did not provide the kind of protection and benefits for sõir
as a traditional regional product. Thus, the PGI was seen to work as a stronger instrument for protecting
this traditional cheese as intellectual property.
5 Discussion
National development documents in Estonia state the need for promoting regional food cultures; yet, this
has mainly been realised in marketing activities such as the nomination of the Food Region of the Year.
Similarly, Sweden has supported the development of food regions within the national Matlandet Sverige
(Eng. Foodland Sweden) programme demonstrating the importance of regional networks for promoting
local products (Skåne region) and using local food in the hospitality sector (Jämtland region) (Halkier,
James and Stræte 2017). Although the Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs announces the nomination, region-
al developmental organisations are responsible for managing food region events. A study of Sisask (2021)
claims that being nominated as a food region in Estonia has improved the region’s image, facilitated coop-
eration between entrepreneurs in the area, increased the use of local raw produce, and brought to the fore
small- and micro-scale producers. However, our previous research demonstrated that if promoting a food
region is based on project-based funding, it may not be sustainable in the long term (Kannike et al. 2021).
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The Estonian state does not provide food quality or food heritage instruments that would enable pro-
tecting or promoting regional food products. In contrast, in the Czech Republic two national schemes exist
for labelling regional products: the Regional Food scheme awards the best regional food products, aim-
ing to promote these for domestic consumers, supports their marketing, and provides a label Regionální
Potravina (Eng. Regional Food); and the Regional Brand scheme managed by the Association of Regional
Brands, which selects individual products of regional origin and with particular qualities from different
regions all over the country (Bošková and Ratinger 2018; Fialová and Chromý 2022). In Estonia region-
al food brands are issued by some LEADER LAGs and like in Slovakia, they were established quite recently
with the support of EU rural development funding (cf. Štensová 2013). Uma Mekk in south-eastern Estonia
has become a successful brand for Võrumaa region and has made products from the area visible on the
local market. However, the meaning of the brand is understandable for domestic but not for foreign con-
sumers and not all producers consider it as a value-adding instrument (cf. Dare, Jönsson and Knutsson
2013). A recent study publisehd by Ruszkai, Pajtók Tari and Patkós (2021, 3 & 15) points out that LEADER
LAGs have the potential to »develop a labelling scheme to protect real local products from cheap imita-
tions (…) and guarantee the geographic origin of the product«. However, the authors admit that regional
labelling schemes require a complex management of short food supply chains, which might be the rea-
son why their occurrence at LAGs is rare and successful well-functioning labelling systems rather belong
to higher regional or national levels (Ruszkai, Pajtók Tari and Patkós 2021). This observation relates to
our concerns about the sustainability of Uma Mekk brand and food network as currently it remains unclear
how the cooperation in the food network and promotional activities would continue in the future with-
out external funding and a supporting organisation. For instance, the Skärgårdssmak (Eng. Archipelago
Taste) in Sweden and Finland was a successful example of regional branding and regional development,
which was created by a project funded by the EU Interreg programme, whereas after the project had ended,
the brand management was turned into a commercial limited company and today its promotion is not as
lively as it was during the project period (Larsen and Österlund-Pötzsch 2015).
Estonia stands out even among other Eastern European countries with a very limited number of regis-
tered EU food quality labels. This may be a result of the lack of national place-based labelling that prioritises
regional or traditional production as this is considered a prerequisite for smoother application for the EU
GIs (cf. Parrott, Wilson and Murdoch 2002; Velčovská and Del Chiappa 2015). The Estonian Ministry of Rural
Affairs has not taken a proactive position in supporting or consulting entrepreneurs in applying for EU food
quality labels. In Latvia, by contrast, the Ministry of Agriculture officials have actively coordinated the appli-
cation process, seeing these labels as nation branding tools in the EU although the number of GIs is likewise
low (2 PGIs and 1 PDO among agricultural products and foodstuffs) (Bardone and Spalvēna 2019). Unlike
in the case of mountain cheeses in Slovenia, which are niche products not made for export but registered as
PDOs or PGIs as examples of Europeanisation of local traditional foods as well the creation of national prop-
erty (Ledinek Lozej 2021), registering sõir as a PGI aimed to re-regionalise a food product previously considered
a national cultural property and to create a regional cultural property instead, using the EU food quality schema
as an instrument (cf. Kneafsey 2010; May et al. 2017). However, it is questionable how useful it is for small-
scale and micro-producers to seek for European protection if a product is made for the local market, often
purchased through direct sales, and familiar only to local customers who know the origin and the taste of
such foods (Bérard and Marchenay 2008; Normann Eriksen and Sundbo 2016; Chalupová et al. 2020). In
the Estonian context, the registration of sõir as a PGI revealed the need of some producers to protect tradi-
tional regional specialities in a way that national quality schemes or regional labels, such as Uma Mekk, do
not provide. Although the custom of sõir-making in Võrumaa region is enlisted in the Estonian Inventory of
ICH, producers did not see it as a value-adding instrument for commercial products (cf. Ledinek Lozej 2021).
A further research perspective emerging from our study concerns measurable long-term economic
benefits of regional food brands – whether developed by LEADER LAGs or within the EU quality schemes –
for producers.
6 Conclusion
The study revealed heterogeneous and inconsistent state policies and initiatives related to the marketing
and labelling of regional products in Estonia. The LEADER-funded LAGs play a key role in developing
regional food networks and establishing food quality labels. One of the brands managed by a LAG and
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based on a local food network involving multiple actors in the food and tourism sector is Uma Mekk in
Võrumaa region in south-eastern Estonia. The regional brand places greater emphasis on the use and ori-
gin of local raw materials rather than historical food traditions in the region. Also included in the study
was an insight into a regional speciality, a traditional cheese sõir from south-eastern Estonia, which demon-
strated how producers could add value to their products using the EU food quality instrument. In the latter
case, the PGI application was an attempt to re-regionalise a traditional food that originated in a cultural-
historical region by using the EU quality schemes.
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