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Preservation of natural values is among the major concerns of residents of bioregions. The present research identifies such values by applying the normative approaches of environmental ethics and aesthetics. From the ethical perspective, disagreements can arise from the fact of value pluralism, as there is a variety of natural and other values that cannot be easily quantitatively compared and harmonized. Local communities see natural values not so much through scientific concepts such as biodiversity but directly,...

Nowadays, tourism represents a kind of environmental consumption, and tourists account for a significant proportion of consumption. Tourists therefore play an important role in developing or negatively affecting sustainable tourism. Eco-friendly accommodation, designed to reduce the negative environmental impacts of tourism become increasingly popular worldwide. Although the popularity of eco-friendly hotels has increased, the actual stays in such hotels are relatively short. The impacts of the tourism system on n...

Many UN and EU agreements binding on Latvia are aimed at sustainable development, biodiversity and mitigating climate change. In this context, one of the solutions is the development of concepts of bioregions or organic farming regions because the bioregion involves the principles and techniques of organic production and consumption and is characterised by an -organic- lifestyle, healthy nutrition, human relations, nature protection as well as the promotion of a particular area and the peculiarities thereof. Philo...

Prevention and reduction of food waste production, food waste conversion into energy and products as well as the proper disposal are sequential processes in the food system. Technological standards and a legal framework for food waste recycling, as well as amendments to the relevant legal acts - both national- and municipal-level ones - have been made in Latvia. In addition, the compliance with the European Waste Classification for Statistics have been verified and the participation of nongovernmental organization...

A study of the bioregion paradigm reveals that bioregions can be diverse. A bioregion is a construct of the human mind that evolves to resist the continued destruction of wild systems in an effort to restore ecological balance. Latvia has a diverse landscape, relatively rich biological diversity and cultural heritage, which provides a solid foundation for the creation of potential bioregions. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal and other documents offer solutions to make our farming more ...

The European Green Deal is one of the attempts to make our economy more sustainable in the long run, and these issues have been increasingly raised in Latvia over the recent years. Promoting changes in daily food consumption habits could also improve people’s quality of life in the future. In a globalized food system, small and local businesses are often being pushed out of the market, which is divided between the big producers and food chains. However, food is also part of each country’s unique cultural heritage ...

The concept of community resilience in rural areas comprises the idea of sustainability, ability to adapt or resist new conditions and external influences and to turn possible risks into opportunities. In order to reduce degradation of rural areas and to preserve rural environment and natural resources, rural communities need to be active in setting priorities, decision making and purposeful realization of initiatives. The LEADER program is an important instrument supporting local initiatives to strengthen communi...