DATE: 30 October 2025
IN PERSON: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Jelgava, Akadēmijas iela 11
CONFERENCE HOURS: 9.00 – 16.15, arrival and registration for the event – from 8:00
ONLINE: zemeunvalsts.lv, db.lv, konferences.db.lv
WORKING LANGUAGES: Latvian and English
ATTENDANCE: free of charge, with advance registration
REGISTRATION: https://konferences.db.lv/conferences/lmsp-konference/
CONTENT OF THE EVENT PROGRAMME:
- Forest and land resources – their mobilisation and use in the current situation
- Sustainability of the forest sector and related industries – scientific aspects and differing approaches
- Land-use industries and national security – experience and conditions
- Building public competence on natural resource use – trends and solutions
Panel discussion topic: How can Latvia's land-use industries adapt to the new political and economic conditions?
EVENT MOTTO: “Rebus sic stantibus” (a legal doctrine allowing that a contract may become inapplicable owing to a fundamental change of circumstances).
Programme
08.00 – 09.00 Registration and morning coffee
09.00 – 09.20 Opening of the conference
Dr. silv. Linards Sisenis, Vice-Rector for Finance, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
Dr. sc. ing. Andris Paeglītis, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
Māris Liopa, Chairman of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia, Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia on the sustainable management and use of forest resources
SESSION 1
Forest and land resources – their mobilisation and use in the current situation
09.20 – 09.40 Assessing the development potential of Latvia's forest sector, and a billion for security
Uldis Biķis, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, AS “Latvijas Finieris”
09.40 – 10.00 The land-use sector – economic growth and national security
Uldis Ameriks, Chairman of the Board, SIA “Laflora”
10.00 – 10.20 The key condition for the growth of the wood industry – planning the volume of available resources
Artūrs Bukonts, Executive Director of the Latvian Forest Industry Federation
10.20 – 10.40 Wood resource reserves and their availability for use in Latvia's state forests
Dr. silv. Dagnis Dubrovskis, Member of the Board, AS “Latvijas valsts meži”
SESSION 2
Sustainability of the forest sector and related industries – scientific aspects and differing approaches
10.40 – 11.00 An economic assessment of the balanced development potential of Latvia's forest sector, and development scenarios
M. Soc. Sc. Mārtiņš Danusēvičs, Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Latvia
11.00 – 11.20 From Pixels to Pines: How Remote Sensing is Transforming Forestry / From pixels to pines: how remote sensing technologies are changing forestry (presentation in English)
Dr. Meelis Seedre, Head of Forest and Carbon Markets, KappaZeta
11.20 – 11.40 “Life is Salaca” – harmonising the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive
Mg. biol. Mārcis Saklaurs, Research Assistant at LVMI “Silava”
11.40 – 12.00 Scientific aspects of increasing the availability of forest resources (topic subject to confirmation)
Prof. Dr. Piotr S. Mederski, Professor at Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poland)) (Poland)
Dr. hab. Mariusz Bembenek, Researcher at Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poland)) (Poland)
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break
SESSION 3
Sustainability of the forest sector and related industries – scientific aspects and differing approaches
13.00 – 13.20 Latvia's forest resources – the basis of economic resilience in times of crisis
Dr. silv. Āris Jansons, Director of the Forest Department, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia
13.20 – 13.40 Multifunctional aspects of forest management in the context of national security
Valdis Kalns, Head of the Real Estate Administration, AS “Latvijas valsts meži”
13.40 – 14.00 War. Forest. Sustainability
Jānis Švirksts, Member of the Board, “STEP UP Certification”
14.00 – 14.30 Coffee break
SESSION 4
Building public competence on natural resource use – trends and solutions
14.30 – 14.50 Exploring Wood Resources and Industry Capacity Alignment / Exploring wood resources and aligning industry capacity (presentation in English)
Dr. Nicola Bozzolan, independent consultant, European Forest Institute
14.50 – 15.10 Biomass. Its use – the role in curbing fossil resource consumption
Ieva Medne, Deputy Head of Sector Policy and Planning Policy at the Latvian Biomass Association (LATbio)
15.10 – 15.30 Public demand for ecosystem services in nature. A 10-year comparison
Dr. silv. Līga Liepa, Associate Professor at the Institute of Forestry, Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
15.30 – 16.00 PANEL DISCUSSION. How can Latvia's land-use industries adapt to the new policy and economic conditions?
Discussion moderator: Māris Ķirsons, journalist at the magazine “Dienas Bizness”
Discussion participants: representatives of industry and science
16.00 – 16.15 Closing remarks and thanks to the cooperation partners and the authors of the presentations
Management of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia
The conference is held with the financial support of the Forest Development Fund
