Latvia must seize the opportunity to develop the bioeconomy sector

From October 8 to 9, Maira Dzelzkalēja, Deputy Chairwoman of the Association "Farmers' Council", will participate in the 3rd Bioeconomy Stakeholders' Conference in Turin, organized by the Italian presidency of the European Union.

In the world, non-renewable resources are still mainly used as raw materials in the production of various products. In order for the European Union to be able to compete with other countries in the world, while ensuring sustainable production, opportunities are being sought to replace fossil-based materials with biological materials that we can grow ourselves. An example is the use of plant-based materials to replace plastic parts in cars, which is already underway.

The bioeconomy creates new opportunities for farmers and foresters, offering the possibility of producing new types of products in the long term. There are many unknowns, and the bioeconomy is considered a sector of the “future”. Therefore, significant funds will be allocated to research and development in the bioeconomy sector in the coming years in the European Union.

Deputy Chairwoman of the Association "Farmers' Council" and Vice-President of the European Farmers' Organization COPA Maira Dzelzkalėja Today, the conference attendees will be presented with the perspective of farmers across the European Union, emphasizing the position that when entering the industrial raw materials production sector, the ability to deliver large batches of a specific type of product will be very important.

How to explain M. Dzelzkalėja: "We have more than 2 million ha of land, but currently agricultural production takes place on approximately 1.5 million ha of agricultural land. We are already producing much more produce than we can consume in Latvia. Therefore, the increase in demand for agricultural products to replace non-renewable resources can open up very large opportunities and new export markets for us in the future. The climate allows us to obtain both agricultural and forestry biomass, from which valuable products can be produced. At the conference, I will emphasize the role of cooperatives in being able to secure large-scale orders and guarantee fair incomes for farmers.

"What we definitely don't need is the development of new standards for the production of sustainable industrial biomass. Such new standards will only support the creation of bureaucratic barriers and will not stimulate the development of the bioeconomy."

The conference will bring together a wide range of experts and stakeholders from various stakeholders, such as industry, academia and end-users. The previous two bioeconomy conferences were held in Copenhagen in 2012 and Dublin in 2013. The Latvian side will also be represented by the Minister of Education and Science, Ina Druviete, and the Rector of the Latvian University of Agriculture, Irina Pilvere.

The conference can also be watched online: http://bioeconomy.miur.it/