From February 16th to 20th, experts of a mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are visiting Latvia and meeting with Latvian forest sector experts. The purpose of the mission is to obtain in-depth information about Latvia’s forest sector and related industries. The experts are visiting Latvia in accordance with the agreement concluded between the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) and the OECD Secretariat to conduct a study on the resilience of the forest sector and its contribution to the bioeconomy. The information obtained will be used by OECD experts to prepare a comprehensive report on the contribution of the forest sector to rural development.
On Tuesday, February 17th, during a meeting with OECD experts, Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze emphasised: “Forests are the cornerstone of Latvia’s bioeconomy. It is important that experts of the OECD acquainted with our forest sector and provide their assessment for its more effective development. Land management – agriculture and forestry – is already among the most economically significant sectors in the majority of Latvia’s municipalities. In order to maintain an economically sustainable environment for business and an attractive living environment for residents in the regions, it is essential to ensure the forest sector’s effective adaptation to climate change, to increase the productivity of managed forests and to implement the principles of dynamic nature conservation. These elements will contribute to the further growth of Latvia’s bioeconomy.”
During the visit, the experts have already visited the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Institute “MeKa”, met with representatives of the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, and visited the Zemgale Regional Unit of JSC “Latvia State forrests”.
Today, the OECD delegation is meeting with forest stakeholder groups – non-governmental organisations of forest owners and managers, representatives of the wood-processing industry, managers of non-timber forest values, forest management service providers, as well as representatives of employees and the education sector, who are also represented in the Forest Consultative Council.
OECD Head of Regional Policy Jose Enrique Garcilazo informed the meeting participants about the objectives and tasks of the mission, while ZM sector adviser Aivars Lapiņš informed about Latvia’s participation in OECD processes related to the forest sector, including the Forest and Rural Development Initiative for 2024–2026, as well as the experts’ contribution to advancing forest-related issues approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on October 8th, 2024.
During OECD visit, the experts are also scheduled to visit the Forest Research Station in Kalsnava, familiarise themselves with the situation in forests on site, learn more about the education of forest sector specialists at Ogres tehnikums, assess the technologies used by the Latvian wood-processing company AS “Latvijas Finieris”, as well as meet with representatives of other ministries and institutions.