Search

The knowledge-based bioeconomy has been prioritized through European Union (EU) research and innovation policies. In December 2017, the government approved the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030, which set the horizontal strategic goal of achieving "research excellence in traditional bioeconomy industries and efficient transfer of knowledge". Therefore, the aim of the present research is to examine one of the submeasures "promoting research excellence and efficient knowledge transfer within traditional bioeconomy industries" for the implementation of the strategic goal of the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 regarding "Knowledge and Innovations" in Latvia. The research found that the development of research on the bioeconomy depends on the overall situation in research and development (R&D) in the country. In 2021 in Latvia, total expenditure on scientific research was low, only 0.71% of GDP, of which 64% was EU funds and private funding. The national Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) defines five main fields to be developed in Latvia, and one of them is a knowledgeintensive bioeconomy. In 2018, 1600 scientists worked in this field, which was 23% of the total number of scientists engaged in RIS3 fields. The amount of R&D funding attracted to the bioeconomy field in 2014-2018 was only EUR 27 mln. or 14% of total funding for RIS3 fields, which indicated the insufficient ability of bioeconomy scientists to attract funding and their lower labour productivity. Nine main research institutions employed 89% of the total personnel engaged in the bioeconomy field, who were the authors of 98% of WoS-indexed research papers published in 2014-2018. In the future, the most important research priorities for the bioeconomy field are going to be mitigation of negative climate change impacts, as well as food and energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the development of the bioeconomy in Latvia, assessing its role in the development of the agricultural sector. Nowadays, the development and sustainability of natural resources are of great importance. The bioeconomy can be considered as one of the oldest sectors of the economy, which life sciences and biotechnology can transform into one of the most modern sectors of the economy. From a number of perspectives, one of Latvia's development opportunities is the more sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. The bioeconomy provides a combined approach to integrating knowledge-based economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, respecting the principles of the circular economy. The aim of this paper is to provide information on a study carried out to investigate and analyse the development perspectives of the bioeconomy and organic farming in Latvia. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and a framework of factors influencing the bioeconomy. The study uses the Delphi method, collects data from expert interviews and surveys, uses the Porter's hypothesis method, and analyses the competitiveness of organic farming enterprises in Latvia based on Porter's five forces method. The development of the bioeconomy is mainly related to the production and efficient processing of bioresources. Rural areas and regions are therefore the ones with the greatest potential for development. Research data show that the growth of the bioeconomy will contribute to the development of Latvia's rural areas and regions and that Latvian organic farming enterprises have great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the bioregion paradigm reveals that bioregions can be diverse. A bioregion is a construct of the human mind that evolves to resist the continued destruction of wild systems in an effort to restore ecological balance. Latvia has a diverse landscape, relatively rich biological diversity and cultural heritage, which provides a solid foundation for the creation of potential bioregions. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal and other documents offer solutions to make our farming more sustainable in the long term. Recently, these ideas have also been brought up to date in Latvia, where one of the topical issues is the identification of bioregion development opportunities. The research results reveal that, in general, the bioregion approach is suitable for the development of rural areas, as it promotes ecological sustainability, social justice, and place identity. In accordance with the procedure established by the legislation, 658 specially protected nature territories have been established in Latvia and their management is carried out by four regional structural units of the Nature Conservation Agency. By actualizing bioregions, it is potentially possible to solve various problems related to the full use of the economic potential of these territories. The purpose of the article is to emphasize the importance of biological diversity and protected areas in the creation of bioregions in Latvia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous research by author conducted in 2016 [1], the indicators characterizing natural resources in Latvian rural municipalities were analysed, looking for connections with the overall territorial development and growth. The study concluded that there are significant differences in the development of municipalities, using the complex territorial development index (TDI) and analysing the available natural resources, such as forests, agricultural land areas, receiving EU funding, etc. The municipalities with the highest TDI values did not have significant natural resources. Their development was mainly determined by their location - close to the capital Riga, which is the largest economic centre in Latvia, thus forming a distinctly monocentric spatial structure. The positions of the Latvian government regarding regional policy, which are included in the National Development Plan 2021-2027, are oriented towards the promotion of polycentrism, thus forming the basis for sustainable and balanced development of all territories. Policy makers point out that the fact that growth has not been territorially balanced, as inequality is still high and the growth of remote regions lags behind the Riga region, creates significant long-term risks. This study analyses whether there have been changes in the five-year period, both in terms of the overall territorial development of rural municipalities, as well as in evaluating the changes in natural resource indicators, raising the issue of the effective use of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waste management sector as one of the most significant economic sectors requires effective management not only in Latvia but in the European Union as whole. According to the recent (2020) available Eurostat data, 505 kg of municipal waste per capita were generated in the EU of which 48% were recycled and 22% were landfilled. Latvia ranges in the 11th position among the EU Member States with 478 kg of generated waste per capita. Romania (287 kg), Poland (346 kg) and Hungary (364 kg) are countries having generated the lowest amounts of municipal waste per capita, while Denmark (845 kg) and Luxembourg (790 kg) have been the top countries with the highest amounts of generated municipal waste per capita in 2020. In Latvia, approximately 66% of generated waste were recycled and 19% were landfilled in 2020. Moving towards the green economy and following the EU Directive 2018/851 targets for recycling municipal waste the governments develop investment plans envisaging financial resources for the waste management sector. The research aim is to evaluate environmental protection expenditure in the context of waste management policy. The research employs statistical data analysis to study the problem elements and synthesise coherencies or formulate regularities. The research period covers the years from 2010 to 2020. Starting from 2018, Latvia has essentially increased amounts of total investment and current expenditure for waste collection and treatment. In 2020, investments have increased 3.9 times compared with 2018; thus, amounting to EUR 36 295 thousand, while the current expenditure has grown by 21.9% amounting to EUR 118 182 thousand. The proportion of investment in waste management has also essentially increased, i.e. from 19.50% in 2010 to 49.96% in 2020, while the respective growth for current expenditure has been more moderate, i.e. from 32.79% to 62.42% of total financial resources for environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public procurement is the acquisition of products and services needed for the public sector and involves significant public budget resources. Incorporating environmental requirements into public procurement promotes both the goals of sustainable development and the principles of the circular economy. Green public procurement practices are becoming increasingly important, not only in the world, but also in Latvia. Therefore, in 2017, the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 was approved, which envisages the development of green procurement as an important factor for the implementation of this strategy. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to study one of the sections "Replacement of non-renewable resources with sustainable bioresources in public procurement" for the implementation of the strategic goal of the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 "Attractive business environment for entrepreneurship in bioeconomy" in Latvia. The study found that since 2017, a system of regulatory enactments has been established in Latvia, which provides for certain groups of goods and services to which green procurement is mandatory in public procurement and groups of goods and services to which green public procurement is applicable on a voluntary basis. These product groups include important products produced and processed and services provided in the bioeconomy sectors. In general, the introduction of green public procurement procedures and requirements in Latvia is to be assessed positively, as in 2017-2020 the total amount of procurement has increased 3.1 times from EUR 282 million to EUR 867 million and in 2020 accounted for 17% of the total amount of public procurement. In turn, mandatory and voluntary green public procurement of goods and services has increased 3.2 times in the analysed period and accounted for 77% of the total amount of green public procurement, which promotes the development of bioeconomy in Latvia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]