We explain - Zeme un valsts
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Latest articles

Latvijas Banka issues a symbolic collector coin, "Chestnut"
The European Innovation Act and the forest bioeconomy – what can Latvian forestry gain from it?
The “Trojan Horse” of Turkish Plywood – Growing Concerns Among European Timber Producers
Nature Conservation Agency invites donations for the restoration of nature tourism infrastructure damaged by the storm

Poll

Concern about gaps in the skills and knowledge of our pupils is voiced quite widely from time to time. Unfortunately, only when someone from outside Latvia has concluded as much. Why is that?
There is a political tendency to be busy, to invest, to make promises, but not to think about the results
If you have little knowledge yourself, you do not even know how or what you do not know...
A smart society is not always desirable or welcome
Many interests swirl around education. A "good result" is rarely mentioned among them

A lighter note

“Why are the trees here so big?”

VIDEO

Collector coin “Chestnut”
Trees on agricultural land – perennial plantations, short-rotation coppice or agroforestry?!
The Baltics in the Kremlin's sights. How serious is the threat?

We explain

The Ministry of Agriculture's most significant achievements in 2025
Removing veteran trees damaged by storms must also be approved
Ending the year with ESG – from climate targets to simpler rules
Europe and the United States are becoming ever more dependent on China and the global South
Latvia strengthens its position in the European open data maturity assessment
2025 in Latvian grain farming – the sector is in a zone of transition and risk
The reins of export growth are in the hands of re-exports
In digitalisation we are a step ahead of others. To keep it that way, we must work!
Price levels fell slightly in November
CapMan Natural Capital sells forest assets in Latvia and Lithuania to Inter IKEA Group
Sowing and planting: more than 14.7 thousand hectares of state forest regenerated this year
Insights from forest sector bioeconomy experts – a major talking point in Brussels
The use of lead in ammunition. An overview of the issue and the latest developments
Survey: in Latvia it is mainly young people who think “green”
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility has been established. Protecting and restoring forests will require more than 66.7 billion US dollars a year
European timber producers join forces to halt the trade in Russian “blood timber” in Europe
Carbon capture and utilisation, or how to turn carbon emissions into valuable resources
The forest sector's contribution to the climate. Europe
EU countries reach agreement on 2040 target, Latvia's interests taken into account
Latvia's forest sector – a backbone of export capacity with high added value
The 2026 budget: with fewer funds, the European Union cannot achieve more
State Audit Office findings on state forest management expected in spring
On the state's circulation, which must not "hang"
Municipal capacity – the key to building a climate-resilient future
Sustainable land use is a complex issue that requires cooperation across different levels and sectors
The forest of the future: European trade union leaders gather at an international seminar in Riga
Starting a timber sales business is easy; keeping it successful is hard
Are certified seeds a safety cushion for farmers in a changing climate?
Heavy penalties imposed for destroying veteran trees
The climate target has become a political “battlefield”
Austria, Luxembourg and Germany criticise the European Union's Deforestation Regulation: “it is unworkable”
Turning pulp mill emissions into renewable value
No, carbon markets are not a moral failure! Abolishing them would be
Fighting forest fires in an age of climate change – innovations in Finland
Yield volume and the final grain price are currently the great unknown
FSC Europe: Latvia is becoming a pioneer in certifying forest ecosystem services
About the Council of Europe Landscape Award
Latgale's largest environmental education event, "Zaļā klase 2025", brings together 2000 schoolchildren
Sharp growth in mortgage lending – in Latvia's property market, the regions are closing in on Riga's pace
The Enterprise Europe Network in Latvia begins a new phase running to 2028
US loggers on the European Union's Deforestation Regulation: "The music has stopped, the dancing is over."
Technology for Latvia's defence and security
Cutting emissions in timber haulage
Lodging, fusarium and flooded fields – what is this summer teaching us about the future of farming?
A domino effect in agriculture – the delayed harvest season threatens the next one too
The Ombudsman's Office insists on a comprehensive review of the system of property encumbrances and compensation, and turns to the government once again
The working person is the state's most valuable asset
EU Deforestation Regulation requirements do not apply to wooden pallets and packaging
Real estate in a specially protected nature territory
No farmer was prepared for weather like this – valuable crops end up as animal feed
Estonian Business School summer school explores the future of artificial intelligence and the Green Deal
Summary. The European Union wants to achieve net zero emissions through legislation
Why are global supply chains still not ready for the introduction of the European Deforestation Regulation?
Study shows renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels
Food waste volumes in Latvia remain high – households generate the most
Income growth is outpacing housing prices, but not for long
Businesses expect speed, flexibility and less bureaucracy from banks
Biology. The entire mechanism is based on tiny vesicles... Arnis Rītups in conversation with Seppo Vainio
The weather is testing farmers – how can they adapt?
Spruces grown over 54 years with diameters exceeding 50 centimetres
Expert: the Germans believe in our agriculture, but we ourselves do not
Reality is forcing decisions to change. What is happening to the European Union's 2040 emissions reduction target?
What should we call a fly's husband? A fly's partner?
The nature values market – a risk or an opportunity for forestry in Finland and the European Union?
Timber mobilisation. Can we do it?
Winter cereal harvests are rising – how can the trend be sustained in future?
The cybercrime market has become the world's third-largest economy
Survey: Older employees feel the least valued
Animal-friendly homes are becoming the new norm – Riga too is getting its first residential project of this kind
Extreme weather in Europe – how much did it cost homeowners and insurers last year?
Latvia wins international arbitration proceedings in the field of renewable energy
Refurbished recreation site and the latest goings-on in the forest – the most-read nature news in easy-to-read language
The country's resilience to extreme weather needs substantial strengthening
More forest in Latvia, fewer people
On the need for sanitary felling on the outskirts of Ogre
Inter-institutional discussion held on the future of green procurement in Latvia
Latvia – a forestry superpower
Positive trends emerged in the economy in Q1 – investment is rising and activity is increasing in the construction sector
Carbon capture and storage: a “fashionable trend” or an opportunity? Part II
Carbon capture and storage: a “passing fashion” or an opportunity? Part I
Wood use solutions for the bioeconomy presented in Brussels
Given the new government's plans, Germany risks missing its emissions reduction targets
The forestry sector still has reserves of untapped potential
Carbon Farming in the European Forestry Sector
The competitiveness and strategic autonomy advantages of the forest bioeconomy for Europe
Climate-driven problems in agriculture – why is the quality of seed material decisive?
Revised EU Deforestation Regulation rules will cut compliance costs by 30%
Fifty years on, the war's effects are still felt in Vietnam. A bleak future is in store for Ukraine and Gaza
A wooden house is a better carbon store than a forest
Local authorities to be given powers to improve air quality, not to ban firewood or wood chip heating
New study suggests that roundwood export bans have failed to halt deforestation worldwide
The potential for CO₂ removal in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea is limited
Which European countries are the best at recycling waste?
Smart weather stations rolled out in Latvia to help farmers make data-driven decisions
The new face of fossil resources
Geopolitical uncertainty continues to affect Latvia's export opportunities
Manufacturing output up 0.8% in the first two months of 2025
Corruption and bribery – how illegal timber “feeds” Europe and America
The way is clear for fish in the Vildoga river
Can climate policy strengthen European security?
US builders' association forecast – millions of households will not be able to afford to buy new homes
Reciprocal tariffs would reduce German exports to the US only slightly
The US Army and Navy want to use “blast-resistant” timber
Ķikans, Irbe and Lūžņa river mouths closed during the coastal bird nesting season in Kurzeme
Changes ahead – the "Clean Industrial Deal"
Energy Efficiency Quarter – a place to talk with the experts
A reminder. On restrictions to forest harvesting in spring
The share-transfer riddle
Will clothing containing wood fibre be defined as environmentally friendly?
European Commission proposes lowering the wolf's protection status
Latvia's opportunity – strengthening carbon management
US import tariff chaos: is the global economy heading for a recession?
Climate-friendly, or perhaps not?
Finnish economist: the impact of US tariffs on Latvian exports will be small, with uncertainty posing the greater challenge
The Nordic Council of Ministers' political priorities for 2025-2030
How the protection of biological values works in private forests in Sweden
Occupational and environmental safety for logging companies
Illegal plywood imports in Europe: threats, consequences and solutions
More durable and more ecological acoustic timber panels
Slack persisted in the labour market in 2024
Climate change is causing more problems in forestry; new forest management models are being sought
An agreement on forestry and game animals – German foresters, landowners and hunters "around one table"
The future of firewood in Europe: resource or problem?
Green policy and Europe. A brief summary of European policy-making matters
The bioeconomy – a chance to make the most of Latvia's potential
Sweden, Finland or the Netherlands – which European countries have the greenest transport?
Can Latvia's forest owners and farmers adapt to climate change?
Restoring peatlands will drive climate warming for at least another hundred years
Let us not abandon the automotive industry!
A shortage of qualified workers is creating problems in delivering the energy transition. Europe is falling behind in adapting homes and cities to climate change. Part II
A shortage of skilled workers is causing problems in delivering the energy transition. Europe is falling behind in adapting its homes and cities to climate change. Part I
The Latvian Hunters' Association withdraws from the “Latvijas valsts meži” memorandum “On mutual cooperation in reducing damage caused by game animals”