ZSA discusses environmental issues with Minister of Environment, Rural Development and Rural Development Juris Pūcis

On October 7, the leadership of the association "Farmers' Council" (ZSA) met with the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MARAM), Juris Pūcis, to discuss the issues within the competence of the MARAM that farmers encounter in their daily work, and their possible solutions.

Juris Lazdiņš, Chairman of the Board of the Association “Farmers' Council”: "During the meeting, we discussed the impact of the goals and requirements of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy on Latvian farmers and the national economy. We discussed what the future work on these strategies will be, as well as what Latvia's position should be. The goals of the strategy are understandable, but they are contradictory, so we believe that the implementation of these goals can only be carried out after an impact assessment on the Latvian economy, environment, social sphere and food security. It is clear that there will be a difficult fight ahead and the ZSA, for its part, is ready to engage in the development of Latvia's position in order to defend the interests of Latvian farmers."

Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Juris Pūce: "We must be prepared for the fact that the climate focus will also be important in the development, implementation and monitoring of agricultural policy in the European Union in the future. On the one hand, the agricultural sector is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), on the other hand, the risks caused by climate change (floods, extreme weather conditions, etc.) also directly affect the volume of agricultural production. Farmers in the European Union, including Latvia, will have to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. I have called on the Farmers' Council, as a valuable negotiating partner, to actively engage and provide its proposals on how to more successfully implement measures to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to climate change, emphasizing aspects of innovation and digitalization."

The discussion was attended by the Chairman of the Farmers' Council, Juris Lazdiņš, Deputy Chairman, Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, and Board Member, Mārtiņš Trons.