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Organic production is an overall system of farm management and food production that combines best environmental and climate action practices. Although various research studies estimate that the demand for organic products will increase in the world, farmers are reluctant to switch to this more environmentally friendly way of farming. In Latvia, organic farming developed rapidly after joining the EU in 2004 owing to the support policies implemented by the European Union (EU) and Latvia. In 2004, there were 1043 cer...

Organic production has become a highly specialized agricultural system, which requires specific professional education, knowledge and technologies. The global demand for organic products is projected to increase in the future. In Latvia, the output of organic agricultural products continues increasing, yet the current output as well as the growing processing and sales capacity is not able to meet the demand for organic products by consumers, which is expected to increase over the next years. Therefore, the aim of ...

This paper seeks to analyse the prospects of locally grown soya in substituting imported soybean meal used in pig feeding in Latvia. Soybean meal is a superior source of protein in compound feeds due to its high protein contents and amino acid composition, but the EU is vastly dependent on the import of plant proteins, with the imports of soya for feed dominating. Latvia also imports considerable quantities of soybean meal that is close to the total production of local protein plants. Owing to potential economic b...

Catch crops have the potential to positively affect soil and environmental quality, including the reduction of soil erosion by water. As growing of catch crops require additional costs, farmers should be aware of the benefits that catch crops can provide. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the potential effect of catch crops with respect to reduction of soil erosion in transboundary Lielupe and Venta river basin districts (RBDs) shared by Latvia and Lithuania. Both RBDs are characterized by intensive crop f...

In 2015 in Latvia, the total value of agricultural output in constant prices (including subsidies on products) reached EUR 1.25 billion, and the value of crop products accounted for 63% of the total. The world population will increase by 35% by 2050; therefore, the Latvian Agricultural Sector Analysis Model (LASAM) has been developed for making projections for agricultural industries. The overall objective of the research is to develop a dynamic simulation model for various crop sectors. The present research analy...