Speakers at the Leadership Conference Emphasized That Preparing for Crises Requires More Than Stockpiling Supplies

In her opening remarks, Rector of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Ülle Jaakma, emphasized that it is impossible to discuss the future economy, security, or competitiveness without food, water, energy, forests, land, and the people who preserve, create, and develop these resources. She expressed her satisfaction that alumni, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, and students came together at the conference, as such meetings foster new ideas and build the trust needed between sectors.

Providing a European Union perspective, Maive Rute, an alumna of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and Deputy Director-General for Investment and Innovation at the European Commission’s DG GROW, noted that the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy, determine what kind of new economic model suits Europe, and identify its strategic partners. She highlighted energy security as a key issue and encouraged Estonian businesses and organizations to present their ideas and successful initiatives more boldly to European institutions, with support available from Estonia’s Permanent Representation in Brussels.

Ave Schank-Lukas, Head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia, explained that enhancing the competitiveness of the European Union is a major objective. European economies are closely interconnected, particularly in agricultural markets. Strategic priorities include advancing the circular economy and bioeconomy (which generated €2.7 trillion in value and supported 17 million jobs in 2023) and reducing dependence on China for critical raw materials.

Future Education, Leaders and Skills

During the panel discussion participants discussed employers’ expectations in recruitment. Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly reshaping the labour market, and the ability to use AI has become a basic skill in many fields, especially for data analysis. At the same time, critical thinking skills must not be neglected.

Raul Jeets, Chairman of the Management Board of dairy producer Agrone OÜ, stated that adaptability is more important for his company than the specific skills a person acquired at school. Tiia Randma, Member of the Management Board of the Estonian Qualifications Authority, likewise stressed the importance of transferable skills, with green and digital skills becoming increasingly significant. Endla Reintam, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, noted that universities cannot produce graduates who perfectly match every employer’s expectations, making lifelong learning and continuing education increasingly important.

Forestry student Taavo Ehrpais from the Estonian Forestry Students’ Society pointed out that simply meeting the minimum curriculum requirements does not provide a comprehensive understanding of the world. Continuous self-development is essential, and universities offer many opportunities, including active participation in student organizations. Arko Kurtmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Coop Bank and an alumnus of the university, said that his company looks for people who demonstrate initiative. He noted that young people are often able to complete certain tasks much faster with the help of Ai than he can do. In his view, students should be given opportunities to experiment and solve real-world business challenges.

Resource Security in Agriculture and Food

Speakers emphasized that ensuring resource security in agriculture and food means more than simply growing food during a crisis. Processing food and delivering it to consumers must also be safeguarded.

Ülo Kivine, Member of the Management Board of TÜ EPIKO, identified five key components of resource security: energy security, biosecurity (risk prevention and preparedness), extreme weather conditions, supply chain disruptions, and strategies, legislation, and other societal factors. Unsurprisingly, war remains the greatest threat.

Rando Värnik, Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, stressed that discussions should not focus solely on the threat of war. Other disruptions, such as pandemics, can also leave societies without food or other necessities. He highlighted the importance of diversified and mixed production systems and argued that investment in food system resilience is essential.

Kerli Ats, Chairwoman of the Management Board of the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, explained that their organization increasingly focuses on communicating the sector’s potential, with the goal of bringing agricultural support payments closer to the EU average. Food system resilience, she noted, is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture but requires cooperation across government ministries.

Meelis Laande, CEO and Member of the Management Board of Atria Estonia, stated that a reliable electricity supply is the foundation of everything. In a genuine crisis, large-scale industrial production cannot be sustained on battery power. Furthermore, in such circumstances, the colour of the packaging is far less important than maintaining production itself.

Triin Kõrgmaa, Secretary General of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, agreed that maintaining the continuity of the food processing industry is critically important during crises. While raw milk remains usable for only about three days, yoghurt lasts for three weeks and cheese from several months up to a year. She also reminded consumers that choosing Estonian products contributes to national food security.

Taavi Tull, Estonia’s Farmer of the Year 2025, observed with some regret that every crisis is different and that small producers often fail to learn from previous crises. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in the ingenuity and resilience of Estonian people and businesses.

Forestry and the Wood Industry

In the conference session dedicated to forestry and wood, Ivar Dembovski, Chairman of the Management Board of Raitwood and member of the university council, emphasized that value is created collectively by people working together. In 2025, Raitwood paid €4.2 million in taxes to the Estonian state, €5.5 million in gross wages to employees, purchased €21 million worth of timber from Estonia, and bought €8.5 million worth of goods and services from other Estonian companies.

Dembovski argued that in complex issues, seeking only common ground can sometimes result in pragmatic compromises that leave significant value unrealized and hinder progress. Instead, stakeholders should strive for a shared view created through co-creation and focused on generating new value. Achieving this requires willingness from all parties, abandoning wishful thinking, and relying on scientific evidence.

Tõnu Ehrpais, CEO of wood processing company Nordwood, stated that it is important to retain wood-fired boiler plants, sawmills, and forestry machinery during times of crisis. Estonia has sufficient forest resources, but the forestry sector is currently reluctant to invest because the political environment provides little certainty about the future.

Andres Olesk, Member of the Management Board of Valga Puu, argued that the state lacks a long-term strategy and that the sector has faced a continuous stream of new restrictions over the past decade. In his opinion, shortcomings in basic education mean that many people do not understand forest ecosystems and processes. While climate change undoubtedly affects forestry, he believes these challenges present exciting opportunities for collaboration with researchers at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

Ahto Kangur, Professor of Forest Management and Forest Industry at the university, agreed that different groups in society expect different things from forests. However, the cost of indecision will influence the opportunities of future generations. Forests do not forgive mistakes or neglect. For example, if a commercial forest is not properly managed today, it will no longer be suitable for producing durable timber in the future and may only be useful as fuelwood.

Forestry student Madli Lehes noted that students primarily expect a message of stability from the state. She finds it difficult to understand why Estonia should import a renewable resource that it already possesses domestically.

Kristi Parro, Head of the Forestry Department at the Ministry of Climate, pointed out that imported timber often comes with lower quality, less reliable supply chains, and prices nearly 20% higher than domestic wood. She acknowledged that much of her work involves resolving conflicting interests, but suggested that the answer to most questions ultimately lies in the forest itself.

Concluding Remarks

The conference concluded with reflections by Jaanus Harro, Professor of Psychophysiology at the University of Tartu, who considered the broader meaning of resources. He concluded that resource security is fundamentally linked to courage and education, which in turn form the basis of human dignity.

Watch photo gallery of Flickrlink opens in new page. Photos by Jassu Hertsmann.