AALP Class 20 International Study Tour: Estonia
Date: April 8, 2025
Author: John Taves and Jeff McAllister, AALP Class 20
AALP Class 20 spent the first few days of our IST touring Estonia, exploring agriculture and leadership in a unique part of the world. It’s been wonderful to learn the stories of the business and farm owners. Stories of overcoming adversity and adapting to the massive changes in their country as freedoms were won and lost and the economy shifted from communism to free market. We heard family stories about how centralized farms, where each farmer contributed equipment and skills, were transformed through the privatization of these properties following the fall of the USSR in 1991. Shares were assigned to the workers and contributors, new ownership was sorted out over time with some controversy and confusion. Now, private farm owners are highly motivated to succeed.
There is a sense of both a high level of trust in their government and a growing sense of apprehension at the current state of global affairs. Citizens we met have a high sense of pride in their country’s accomplishments,100% of government services in Estonia are available online, they embrace free trade across the European Union and are leaders in digital banking. The growing unease of our tour guide and hosts was palpable. They steadied themselves for the future and worried for their families in the case of the amplification of conflict in this region with Russian/Ukraine tensions. The community memories of Soviet occupation were always close at hand.
Estonian farms and agri-businesses are dealing with many similar challenges to those in Ontario, high inflation, rising costs of land and equipment, marketing challenges and family succession planning decisions.
We stayed two nights in Tallinn, the capital and largest city in Estonia. It was a privilege to meet with His Excellence, Mr. Laird Hindle, Ambassador of Canada to Estonia. He provided details of Canada and Estonia’s long history, including Toronto being one of the largest Estonian diasporas globally. From an agribusiness perspective, we visited Kadarbiku, a large, family run carrot and cabbage grower and processor; Dava Foods Estonia, the largest egg producer in Estonia; Jaanihanso Cider House, champagne-style cider producer; and Agrone, an organic, family dairy farm. There were many similarities, but also many differences between our agri-business priorities that reflected the preferences of the EU market. The EU demand for organic products motivates production methods and inputs.
The Estonian landscape is not unlike Southwestern or Eastern Ontario. Looking out the windows of the bus as we traveled through the countryside we saw familiar scenes. The land is mostly flat with similar types of foliage and the familiar snow and ditches to manage rainfall that we are accustomed to in our Ontario landscape. The buildings vary, especially in the cities, from beautiful old buildings from the medieval period including churches and parliament and castles, to the grey, standardized Soviet era buildings and apartments, to more modern glass and steel structures. There is history everywhere we look. So much of it does not exist in Canada.
Our driver Igor and tour guide Ed led us through our stops. They shared countless stories providing background on the land and culture we passed through. We are grateful for the experience and privilege we had to take part in AALP and this opportunity to see the Baltic States! We can’t wait to see what Latvia and Lithuania have in store for us!
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