Organic Farms and Agricultural GHG Emissions in Latvia

At the end of 2015, there were 3 635 organic farms in Latvia, which was 158 more than in the previous year, and the number of certified organic farms was steady over the last six years. The organically certified area was 237 462 ha, or approximately 12% of the total UAA in the country, which was 14.38% more than in 2014. After the Paris Summit on Climate Change held at the end of 2015, Latvia joined the initiative “4‰” proposed by France, the purpose of which was to increase the organic matter content of soil and contribute to the absorption of carbon by the soil through agricultural activities being appropriate under the local conditions from the economic, environmental and social aspects. Thus the application of organic farming methods in agricultural production is one of the possibilities to reduce GHG emissions, as the potential of organic farming to absorb carbon in soil and aboveground biomass is higher than that of conventional farming because most of the year fields are covered with green cover. According to a number of researchers, nitrous oxide emissions from organically managed soils are 492 ± 160 kg CO2 eq. ha−1a−1 smaller than from non-organically ones. The difference in emissions from arable land reaches 497 ± 162 kg CO2 eq. ha−1a−1. However, if measured per unit of crop yield, nitrous oxide emissions are greater by 41 ± 34 kg CO2 eq. ha−1a−1 DM (Skinner et al. 2014). The research aims to characterise the organic farming practices of farms surveyed within the present research, identify the GHG emissions produced by the farms and assess the farms’ contribution to GHG emission mitigation in Latvia

Local Food Development Perspectives in Latvia: A Value-Oriented View

The role of local food products in the food system of West European countries tends to increase. Currently, the economic aspects of food in most of the western world are no longer dominant in decision-making, and consumers are willing to pay more for prosocial food. The present research examines support for prosocial food among consumers in Latvia. A consumer survey conducted in Latvia (n = 1000) revealed attitudes and behavior in relation to: (a) food and shopping convenience values; (b) economic values; (c) prosocial values of food consumption (local and environmental friendly food). The purpose of the survey was to make quantitative measurements that reveal the main trends in the society of Latvia and what values are important for consumers, depending on their family status, level of education, place of residence and income level. The scientific discourse reveals that more support for prosocial food is observed among higher-income households living in a city which have children and higher education. Surprisingly, the research results did not confirm this. Although the support of this consumer segment for such food is relatively high, it is lower than that of other consumers. Perhaps the explanation should be sought in the broader context of life values, e.g., sentimental feelings caused by travel rather than belongingness to a particular place; or, it is possible that hedonism prevails in the awareness of social and ecological reality and each person’s responsibility for it, which could be further research problems

Assessment of the amount of greenhouse gases in biogas production in Latvia

The provision of energy, its availability and sufficiency at economically justified costs are the issues of economic growth, life quality, and security for any country. The factor of life quality and security is closely related to a clean environment that does not threaten human health. One of the indicators for assessing the surrounding environment is emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). GHGs play a significant role in the energy sector, including producing energy from agricultural crops. Agriculture is a significant producer of greenhouse gases, therefore, if advancing towards sustainable development, it is important to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases both in agriculture and in the entire national economy. Not only production of greenhouse gases, but also their reduction through photosynthesis is specific to agriculture. By successfully managing the factors causing the greenhouse gas effect, it is possible to substantially reduce emissions of harmful gases, especially if energy is produced from renewable sources. The aim of the present paper is to calculate a GHG balance and compare it with the amount of CO2 absorbed through photosynthesis as well as a fossil fuel comparator

Local Food Development Perspectives in Latvia: A Value-Oriented View

The role of local food products in the food system of West European countries tends to increase. Currently, the economic aspects of food in most of the western world are no longer dominant in decision-making, and consumers are willing to pay more for prosocial food. The present research examines support for prosocial food among consumers in Latvia. A consumer survey conducted in Latvia (n = 1000) revealed attitudes and behavior in relation to: (a) food and shopping convenience values; (b) economic values; (c) prosocial values of food consumption (local and environmental friendly food). The purpose of the survey was to make quantitative measurements that reveal the main trends in the society of Latvia and what values are important for consumers, depending on their family status, level of education, place of residence and income level. The scientific discourse reveals that more support for prosocial food is observed among higher-income households living in a city which have children and higher education. Surprisingly, the research results did not confirm this. Although the support of this consumer segment for such food is relatively high, it is lower than that of other consumers. Perhaps the explanation should be sought in the broader context of life values, e.g., sentimental feelings caused by travel rather than belongingness to a particular place; or, it is possible that hedonism prevails in the awareness of social and ecological reality and each person’s responsibility for it, which could be further research problems

Is the Production of Agricultural Biogas Environmentally Friendly? Does the Structure of Consumption of First- and Second-Generation Raw Materials in Latvia and Poland Matter?

The importance of biogas in the energy mix in Poland and Latvia is very low. In Poland, 306 million m3 of biogas is produced annually, and in Latvia, 56 million m3. The share of energy from agricultural biogas in Latvia is 1.6%, and in Poland, only 0.12%. This study analyzed the impact of the structure on CO2 emissions from agricultural biogas production in Latvia and Poland. The emission was determined in accordance with the EU directive. The structure of substrates was dominated by those from the second generation, i.e., manure and food waste. In Latvia, it was 70%, and in Poland, 78%. The manure share was 45% and 24%, respectively. The anaerobic digestion of manure guarantees high GHG savings thanks to the avoided emissions from the traditional storage and management of raw manure as organic fertilizer. The level of emissions from the production of agricultural biogas was calculated for the variant with the use of closed digestate tanks, and it was about 10–11 g CO2/MJ, which is comparable to the emissions from solar photovoltaic sources. When using open tanks, the emission level was twice as high, but it was still many times less than from the Polish or Latvian energy mix. Such a low level of emissions resulted from the high share of manure. The level of emission reduction reached 90% compared to fossil fuels. The use of second-generation feedstock in biogas production provides environmental benefits. Therefore, if wastes are used in biogas generation, and the influence on the local environment and overall GHG emissions is positive, authorities should support such activity