Jelgava, 29.10.2026, 11th International Conference of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia “Environment and sustainable forest and land management – current solutions”
It has been 4,634 days since the start of the hostilities in Ukraine; the full-scale Russian military aggression to destroy the Ukrainian nation began 1,708 days ago
The forest sector must work in the shade of Rucava pines, or on respectful dialogue, Latvian values and a country worth living in
We – the employees and management of Latvijas Finieris, roughly 2,600 people in total – work for a company that transforms Latvia’s natural resources into knowledge, products and added value. Every day through our work, we confirm that the Latvian forest is not just a natural treasure but also the foundation for our nation’s prosperity, regional development and, in particular, economic independence. Therefore, we are pained by the public discourse in which the desire to produce, develop and earn is classified as a suspicious motive. We feel misunderstood and humiliated by this attitude. The impression arises that concern for Latvia’s nature applies only to one part of society, while someone working with timber must first prove that their intentions are honest. We do not crave exemption from criticism. We ask for a fair and respectful dialogue. We ask that our arguments be heard as seriously as the considerations voiced by environmentalists. Employee wages, business development, export income and taxes are not just abstract economic categories. Behind them stand people, families, the future of our children and the ability of the Latvian state to exist, develop and decide its own path.
If we label everything related to production and profit solely as business interests, we also belittle the people of Latvia whose daily work sustains the country. An economic argument is not proof of a lack of morality. An honest worker should not have to justify themselves for creating economic value. We want a Latvia where a person does not have to be ashamed of their work and where care for nature is not at odds with care for people. The defence of the state begins with a sense of belonging.
In 2021-2022, a study was conducted at the request of the Ministry of Defence On Latvia's values and the national idea/ideology, the authors of which are Maija Kūle, Māris Kūlis and invited researchers. The study emphasizes that the readiness to defend the state is closely linked to a sense of belonging, trust and the conviction that there is something shared, significant and worth protecting in this country. The authors warn of the risk of alienation and call for statehood to be based on values close to the individual – family, life and freedom. [1] We also apply these findings to the Latvian national economy. A sense of belonging to the state cannot be strengthened by making people feel ashamed of honest work that creates value. One cannot demand that a person feel responsible for their country while simultaneously making them feel unnecessary in shaping its future. A state is not just a flag, a border or a collection of laws. The state is also the people who work, create, teach, research, build and take responsibility for future generations every day. Its strength lies not only in the ability to defend itself but also in the ability to give people a reason to love, trust and live in this country.
Here also begins our responsibility for Latvia – to transform local natural resources into human knowledge, quality products and prosperity. Birch alone is not enough. It is not enough to just grow a tree and cut it down. We must understand what human need our created product satisfies and why it will be needed globally. Work started in the forest continues in materials science, chemistry, processing, engineering, logistics and exports. This requires education, scientific development, technology and the courage to invest in the future. Land and wood can become the “oil” of the future for Latvia – not as a promise of unlimited resources, but as a testament to the opportunity to wisely use what we have. This opportunity must be invested in people, knowledge and technology, while simultaneously preserving nature’s ability to provide opportunities for future generations as well.
The numbers show the scale of the work and allow us to see the importance of the forest sector in the Latvian national economy. In a 2026 assessment by KPMG, it was estimated that in 2024 the forest sector generated 2.184 billion euros in direct gross value added, or 5.4% of Latvia's gross domestic product, and provided 39,885 direct jobs. [2] This analysis was conducted at the request of Latvijas valsts meži (LVM), and its origin must be clearly stated. This study, too, can be evaluated according to the methodology, assumptions and evidence used. However, its origin itself is not a reason to ignore the data contained within it; the name of the commissioning party is not grounds to question and ignore the obtained data. Almost forty thousand jobs in the sector are not just a number in a table. They are people’s lives, families and future plans. They are regions where the operations of companies maintain economic circulation, create demand for services and give young people the opportunity to find work outside large cities. In no table and in no sentence do we seek a justification for the destruction of nature. We seek a basis for decisions where both the value of nature and human work are honestly assessed. Latvia’s sustainability cannot be measured by writing environmental protection goals on one side of a calculation and leaving an empty space on the other for the people who must live and work in this country.
Value must remain in Latvia
We want not only timber to remain in Latvia, but also the knowledge, engineering, research, processing and the skill to create products that are appreciated globally and for which people are willing to pay. However, greater added value cannot be proven only by the product name or technological complexity. It must be assessed by the return on the entire investment – the skills of the people, productivity, remuneration, efficiency of resource use and the ability to invest earnings into the next stage of development. Even a simple product can have its own justified place in the market. Our task is to use knowledge and responsible resource use to ensure that the value created in Latvia is as high as possible. And – this is not just a dream. It is possible. In April 2026, Latvijas Finieris inaugurated the expansion of the VEREMS factory in the Rēzekne municipality, implementing a 100 million euro investment project in Latgale. The company predicts that this investment will allow annual exports to increase by more than 30 million euros. [3] This is a concrete example of how industrial development can take place in Latvia – by creating jobs, strengthening the regional economy and increasing the competitiveness of our products in global markets. The investment has been made – the export increase is currently a forecast. Such long-term investments confirm the willingness of Latvijas Finieris to take risks and build a future here, in Latvia.
However, for such development to be possible, predictable rules of the game and the availability of responsibly sourced raw materials are necessary. Business cannot develop solely from good intentions. There is a need to be able to plan, invest and rely on the fact that decisions will not be changed arbitrarily. Long-term investments require predictable rules and the availability of responsibly sourced raw materials.
The 39 million euro loan granted by the European Investment Bank in 2022 to Latvijas Finieris for research, development and the modernization of production facilities also confirms that industrial growth and environmental goals are not mutually exclusive. The rationale for the loan also emphasized resource efficiency and the reduction of environmental impact. [4] However, we are aware that it is not enough to call products renewable to prove their sustainability. Every material must be evaluated throughout its entire life cycle – according to its function, service life, repair possibilities, energy consumption and recyclability. Responsible choice begins with evidence, not labels. The value of nature is not just in hectares. We cannot ask for nature to become invisible in this dialogue. Latvian forests are not just a source of raw materials. They are ecosystems, habitats for species, landscapes and a collection of natural processes whose value cannot always be expressed in money.
The 2023 nature inventory summary by the Nature Conservation Agency points out that approximately 10% of Latvia's forests are biologically valuable. [5] This assessment necessitates taking the quality of nature and its preservation seriously. This cannot be replaced by counting the total forest area or the volume of timber extracted. We believe that before every decision, questions should be asked that help to see the broader picture. What need does a specific material satisfy? What will replace it if we abandon its use? Where will the alternative material come from? How much energy will be needed for its extraction and production? Where will its environmental impact arise? The circular economy requires extending the service life of products, repairing them and recycling them. Yet even here, a practical and scientifically grounded assessment is needed, taking into account material quality, product functions and real collection possibilities. If we simply transfer the harm to nature outside the borders of Latvia, we have not solved the problem. We have only made it less visible. Therefore, all alternatives must be evaluated according to equally strict criteria.
We accept that restrictions are necessary for the preservation of irreplaceable natural values. However, every such decision must have a clear objective, scientific justification and a comprehensible assessment of its impact on the landowner, processing companies and regional competitiveness. If the benefits of nature conservation are needed by society as a whole, the responsibility for its costs must also be borne by society as a whole. It is not fair to expect the landowner to cover the costs alone for a benefit enjoyed by everyone. Nature conservation must not have undeniable veto powers over stopping a company’s development or preventing the realization of a factory; it can be part of the full cost of a choice. A cost that must be recognized, not left out of the conversation.
Science must help us compare the trade-offs between biodiversity, climate goals, resource use and human prosperity. Knowledge from environmental protection, industry, social sciences and economics is needed at the same table. Respect begins the moment we no longer perceive another person’s competence as their shortcoming or fault.
An agreement on a Latvia worth living in
We want a meaningful dialogue where the environmentalist does not have to prove that they care about people, and the entrepreneur does not have to prove that they care about Latvia and its nature. Concrete claims may and should be challenged. Decisions must be tested, numbers compared and mistakes admitted. However, a person’s right to participate in the conversation must not depend on which sector they work in or what convictions they represent. We are concerned by a nihilistic attitude towards the economy – the moment when the consequences of a person's work, income and business activities no longer even seem worth discussing. We object to such an attitude. Not because we consider the economy more important than nature, but because a sustainable and independent Latvian state is inconceivable without both.
Sustainability also means security and independence. In abandoning one resource dependency, we must not thoughtlessly create the next. If Europe were to weaken its processing industry and responsible resource extraction without simultaneously reducing consumption and needs, pressure to seek raw materials and products elsewhere would increase. In such scenarios, the potential political influence of Russia and Belarus must also be taken into account. This is a serious future risk that must be assessed, not proof of specific current supplies. Similarly, concern for nature is not grounds for suspicions of foreign influence. Such claims require concrete facts, not assumptions.
We propose starting with a clear approach to land use – land stratification, or the division of territories according to their main function: economic activity, nature conservation and recreation. Such a division would help define a clear purpose, corresponding management conditions and verifiable results for each territory. We realize that these functions can overlap. However, one cannot demand maximum timber production, entirely undisturbed natural processes or intensive recreation across the entire land area simultaneously. Clear priorities are needed, determined based on science, the rule of law and public participation.
For such a system to work, both the legal regulation of nature conservation and the Forest Law must be conceptually revised. In territories where the main task is economic activity, productivity must be set as the central goal – the ability to create greater value in the long term through knowledge, technology and responsible land management. This means assessing forest productivity, the quality of timber obtained, the return on investment and the efficiency of resource use. The landowner must have the possibility to choose the most suitable management methods and make economic decisions within the framework of clear, proportionate and predictable requirements. Regulation should define the achievable results and basic environmental protection requirements, while simultaneously allowing the owner to choose the most efficient way to achieve these results.
In turn, we propose basing the relationship between the state and the private landowner in the field of nature conservation on voluntary and civil-law cooperation. Its foundation would be a contract clearly defining the object to be protected, the nature quality to be achieved, the necessary work or restrictions on economic activity, the term of the contract and compensation. Our goal is to ensure that the landowner becomes an interested protector of natural values, rather than just an addressee of restrictions. If restrictions on property use are set for the landowner in the interest of society, fair, timely and predictable compensation must be provided. For the active maintenance and restoration of natural values, compensation reflecting the work invested and the result achieved should be received. Even in cases where mandatory protective measures are unavoidable, their justification must be clear and the costs – fairly distributed.
Nature conservation must be dynamic; it must not be a fixed, constant set of prohibitions. The state of nature, threats and management needs change, therefore the effectiveness of the chosen measures must also be regularly evaluated. Protection results must be reassessed according to the state of species and habitats, ecological functionality and the successes in nature restoration. The number of protected hectares mathematically describes the scale of what has been done but does not prove the level of nature quality achieved. Therefore, greater emphasis in nature conservation policy must be placed on clear quality criteria, regular evaluation and accountability for results, rather than just on the count of protected areas and established prohibitions. The review of conditions must be scientifically grounded and predictable, while simultaneously preserving both irreplaceable natural values and the legal certainty of landowners.
We see an opportunity to build a system where the main task in economic territories is productivity and responsible development, while in nature conservation territories it is measurable quality, cooperation and fair compensation for the landowner. Both environmental protection and sector arguments must be assessed according to equally strict evidence criteria, and the actual results of the decisions made must also be verified subsequently. Stratification would combine these goals into a comprehensible and long-term reliable land-use system.
Respect for work strengthens the state
The values study reminds us that belonging and trust are essential prerequisites for a person’s readiness to defend their country. [1] We believe that this finding is equally significant in economic policy. Respect attracts people. Humiliation drives them away. If we want young people to link their future with Latvia, we must create opportunities for them to learn, research, design, produce and build companies here. They must see that in Latvia it is possible not only to use technologies created by others but also to become authors of knowledge, innovations and new solutions themselves. Care for nature can become an inspiration for science. The desire to protect the forest can encourage the creation of new technologies, more efficient materials and smarter management methods. Industry, in turn, can provide knowledge with practical application and the opportunity to turn into human prosperity. Latvia’s advantage will not be the ability to choose between man and nature, but the ability to find solutions where people with their knowledge and responsibility help preserve natural values while simultaneously building a strong, competitive state in the European space of democracy and the rule of law.
We want to defend a Latvia where the forest has a future and the person has a job. A Latvia that knows how to preserve the irreplaceable while simultaneously creating the new. A Latvia where honest work is a value and care for nature does not have to be proven by renouncing development. We see our share of responsibility in the added value that we are able to create here, in Latvia, with our work, knowledge and investments. We ask the same seriousness of attitude from our dialogue partners regarding human work as they reasonably expect from us regarding nature reserves. We do not have to think the same about every issue. But we must be able to listen to each other, honestly evaluate the evidence and take responsibility for jointly taken decisions. Because Latvia is not just its nature. It is also not just its economy. Latvia is people, land, knowledge, work and shared values.
We want a Latvia where it is an honour and a source of pride to live, where there is an opportunity both to preserve what is dear to us and to create what we will yet have. And we believe that the building of such a Latvia begins with a simple but crucially important principle: to respect the person and their work, by respecting nature and not perceiving them as irreconcilable opposites.
We are building a well-maintained, independent and prosperous Latvia!