The aim in the activities of the Rural Network is to showcase the results achieved in the development of the Finnish countryside and to pass on best practices to be utilised further in other contexts. The many ideas and innovations produced by the numerous participants of the Best Practices 2010 Competition show that there certainly are skilful and innovative operators with good cooperation skills in the Finnish countryside. In addition to this brochure, you can read more about the best practices created by the competitors by visiting the Best Practices Database at maaseutu.fi. This brochure provides you with a brief overview of the finalists in the Best Practices 2010 Competition. They represent the crème de la crème in rural development in Finland. In the Best Practices Database you will find many other examples that were not among the 20 finalists. Selecting the best from among the many best practices is really a challenge as there is no such thing as an outright winner in this competition. Therefore, I invite you to familiarise yourselves with the wide array of results achieved in the development of the Finnish countryside and to apply them in your own activities as you see fit.

The 2010 competition was open to projects that had received a funding decision from the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland or the Rural Development Programme for the Åland Islands by the end of January 2010. Regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, the government of Åland and local LEADER action groups then reviewed the competition entries in their area. Next, the regional winners went before a national panel, the Best Practices 2010 Team, which nominated the finalists in six categories. The categories were: LEADER Project of the Year; Development Project of the Year; Rural Investment of the Year; Rural Innovation of the Year; Environmental Investment of the Year; and Rural Investor of the Year, which this time was picked from among Finnish Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. Picked by the jury, the category winners were announced at the Rural Gala held on 7 October. Rural development is a long-term project, and a great deal of work remains to be done even after the celebrations. As President of the Best Practices 2010 Team, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to all rural operators who have shared their best practices with others. Thanks are also due to members of the Best Practices Team, as well as the jury of the Best Practices 2010 Competition. It is thanks to their expertise that we managed to pick the very best of the best practices. This event certainly encourages us to continue our work for a vital Finnish countryside.