On Wednesday, July 2nd, in Paris, France, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze took part in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum, where participants discussed how to combine sustainable development in agriculture and forestry with economic growth.
Minister Armands Krauze stated: “In the forestry sector, we are now harvesting timber from forests that were planted 100 years ago – 40 years before the OECD was founded – and today we are planting forests that will be used for timber in the year 2100. This time dimension is very important and must be taken into account in policy planning, because the resources we are discussing now will be used by the next generation.
Conversations with farmers and forest owners have revealed that the main driver of entrepreneurship is economic growth – how entrepreneurs can earn in the short and long term. Only under conditions of stable profit is it possible to improve operations and work towards sustainability and environmental goals. Furthermore, if we introduce new instruments to promote green growth, such as carbon credits, the interests of small and medium-sized farmers and forest owners must be taken into account – they do not have the same capabilities as large companies to hire specialists to manage such instruments.”
At the OECD Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum, representatives of different sectors each year analyze a previously unaddressed issue related to sustainability and green growth. The event brings together stakeholders and experts from OECD committees, ministries, agencies, academia, businesses, civil society, and international organizations.