Krauze stresses multi-faceted approach to sustainable forestry in Europe

RIGA - This week, at the Forest Europe conference in Bonn, Germany, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze (Greens/Farmers) stressed the need for a multifaceted approach to ensuring sustainable forestry in Europe, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) informed LETA.

The aim of the meeting was to strengthen forest sector cooperation at European level, as well as to share the latest findings and development examples for sustainable forest management in Europe, the ministry said. The conference was attended by ministers and high-level representatives from 37 European countries, two observer countries and 20 observer organizations.

Each resident may perceive forests in different ways, including as a site for nature protection and biodiversity conservation, as a place for recreation and leisure, and as a resource for economic activity, Krauze notes. These three functions must be balanced in the development of sustainable forest management in Europe, and not all the forests in a country can be devoted to one function.

At the event, ministers and leaders of observer organizations discussed sustainable forest management, resilience and youth engagement, and signed the Ministerial Declaration "Forest Europe - Sustaining the concept of sustainable forest management for the future", in which signatories stressed the need to adapt strategies to new challenges, and the importance of maintaining multi-functional, sustainable forests, a skilled workforce and the need to maintain forest genetics resources.

Krauze explains that in Latvia forestry and timber industries account for 10 percent of gross domestic product and provide jobs and prosperity for a large part of the Latvian population, which is why the MoA is working to manage forests sustainably, providing income and recreational opportunities for the Latvian population.

Forest Europe is a cooperation platform for ministers from European countries to promote the adaptation of forest management to changing climatic and local conditions.