With over 60 % of the population in the 27 Member States of the EUliving in rural areas, which cover 90 % of the territory, the strengtheningof rural development has become an overall EU priority. Women farmersand their production of local specialities can be a “treasure” for Europeanculinary culture and diversity. However, inadequate marketing skills donot use this potential. Our objective is to: empower women farmers intheir professionalisation as producers of local specialities and to increasetheir competences in marketing ; develop a structured internet based selflearning programme and a toolbox for a holistic marketing approach ;provide a demonstration of best practice examples; design the materialsin a user friendly form and adequate for the target group; focus onsustainable and long-term optimisation in the marketing approach; hold amultiplier conference for experts from non-participating countries; sustainthe availability of marketing tools through the web site for at least fiveyears after the end of the project. Moreover, we will introduce aspects ofgender mainstreaming into the empowerment methods, because in manyparts of Europe, women farmers will have to strengthen their socioeconomicrole first before they will start their entrepreneurial career. Themain products will be a web based Self-learning Programme and Toolboxfor women farmers focusing on marketing in the holistic sense of theword, which covers the following areas: Product development; Businessplanning and financing ; Quality management and quality assurance ;Legal framework ; Positioning of the products ; Distribution ; Marketcommunication. The materials will be produced in linguistic and socioculturalmodifications in the eight languages of the partnership. We willreach the target group via agricultural education organisations, but evenmore important, through the respective regional development agencies inthose areas where local marketing of agricultural products has apotential. We will also involve the tourist associations and agencies,because in many European regions, there is a growing agro-tourism, andit is especially these organisations who have close links to the womenfarmers and will encourage their entrepreneurial activities.