The book deals with the conference participants’ reports in following veterinary medicine themes: 1) Antimicrobial resistance. Valda Sējāne (Latvia); 2) Dry disinfection - an important part of biosafety. Szymon Burchardt (Poland); 3) Persistent right aortic arch - surgical operation in dog. Aigars Briņķis (Latvia); 3) Juvenile sterile pyogranulomatous dermatitis (Juvenile cellulites). Alla Maskoļonoka (Latvia); 4) Application of the newest veterinary medicine technologies in pet animals in Latvia. Gustavs Krauklis, Guntars Avdoško (Latvia); 5) Lens luxation in dogs. Līga Kovaļčuka (Latvia); 6) Systemic histiocytosis case in kurzhaar (description of clinical case, disease theoretical description, principles of treatment). Kristīne Drevinska (Latvia); 7) Systemic histiocytosis case in kurzhaar: histological diagnostic, pathological sight. Ilze Matīse-VanHoutana (USA, Latvia); 8) External ear canal ablation in cat. Miervaldis Kļaviņš (Latvia); 9) The complications after cystocentesis in cat Patric. Marina Hitrova (Latvia); 10) Detection of mastitis pathogen by molecular analysis PathoProof Mastitis PCR Assay. Ivars Lūsis, Diāna Ruska (Latvia); 11) Nobivac Canine vaccination - a best practice approach.

Organic soils are the soils being rich in organic matter; they comprise part of the utilised agricultural area (UAA) and are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture in Latvia. In Latvia, annual precipitation is greater than evaporation, which creates favourable conditions for the formation of soils rich in organic matter. Therefore, the overall aim of the present research is to examine possibilities to identify organic soils in the agricultural area in Latvia. To achieve the aim, the following specific research tasks are defined: 1) to analyse the agricultural land area in Latvia; 2) to describe the possibilities to identify organic soils in the agricultural area in Latvia and to examine the organic soil area in Latvia. The research found that the UAA, according to various information sources, was different, which made the identification of the organic soil area problematic. Information on soils in Latvia is not collected according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) standards and definitions, therefore the present research classified organic soils according to the latest list of soils in Latvia and IPCC criteria. An analysis of the soil map of Latvia and the available data of the Rural Support Service’s Geographic Information System showed that the organic soil area in Latvia was in the range from 148 069 ha to 345 844 ha.

The first checklist of lichens in Latvia was published in 2001 (Piterāns, 2001A). The second revised checklist was prepared taking into account recent changes, which have occurred in the lichen flora and includes all known new species for Latvia. The checklist includes species found in Latvia more than 100 years, but which have no recent records. Every year, new species for Latvia are recorded, and as a result the numbers of lichens reported in Latvia differ in publications of different years. Presently, the checklist includes 573 species, five subspecies, eight varieties and two forms. 34 lichen species, included in the Red Data List of Latvia, are marked with an asterix (*). The Latvian checklist will be useful for scientists, biologists, bachelor, master and doctoral students, and amateur naturalists with special interest in lichens. The first comprehensive list of hornworts (Anthocerotopsida), liverworts (Marchantiophyta), and mosses (Bryophyta) for Latvia was published in 2001 (Āboloņa, 2001). From then on, 53 new taxa for Latvia were recorded. Therefore, this new updated list encompassing 565 species, 9 subspecies, 22 varieties and one form was prepared. Currently, the bryophyte flora in Latvia comprises 32% of the total number of bryophyte species in Europe (totally 1753 species are known in Europe (Söderström et al., 2002; Hill et al., 2006)).

To achieve the goal of the Latvia 2030 strategy – to be the leader in the EU in terms of preservation, replenishment and sustainable exploitation of natural capital –, it is required to address the role of the bioeconomy in Latvia. In order for the Bioeconomy Strategy of Latvia 2030 (LIBRA strategy) of Latvia to be sustainable and ensure efficient use of natural resources, it is necessary to apply an integrated approach to knowledge-based growth as well as to symbiotically integrate the other areas into agriculture, forestry and fisheries, observing the basic principles of a circular (sustainable) economy. Accordingly, under the Bioeconomy Strategy of Latvia 2030 the rural areas and regions have prospects for development. The research aim is to identify the proportion of the bioeconomy in the economy of Latvia at municipality level.

The development of agriculture in Latvia, which has taken place in the last decades, as well as changes in legislation, due to Latvia entrance in European Union, have favoured demand for new experts in services' market of agricultural branch in Latvia. The publication reflects economical factors of services' market in agricultural branch in Latvia. Special attention is paid to assessment of Latvia training and advisory centres' policy in frames of providing services for agricultural enterprises.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DAMAGE: Historical Background (1939–1991) / Andrejs Mežmalis. Latvian Industry – 1940-1960: Excessive Expansion and Increasing Regional Disparity in the USSR / Juris Prikulis. Determining the Damage of Occupation: Hypothetical Evaluation of the Development Path of Latvia, had it not Been Occupied / Jānis Kalniņš, Gunta Piņķe. Direct Denographic Losses Suffered by Latvia as a Result of Soviet Campaigns / Pēteris Zvidriņš. Indirect Demographic Losses Suffered by Latvia as a Result of the Soviet Occupation / Edvīns Vītoliņš. Methodology for Determining Human Value / Jānis Počs. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE: Environmental Damage Caused by the Soviet Regime to Latvia / Rolands Artūrs Bebris. Pollution Caused by Industry and oil Products / Ināra Krūmiņa, Ivan Semyonov. Environmental Damage Caused to Latvia by Pesticides Used in the Soviet Agricultural System / Daina Pužule, Ināra Krūmiņa. Estimation of the Damage Caused to the National Economy of Latvia by the Soviet Armay and the Military-Industrial Complex / Ilgonis Upmalis. Damage Caused to Latvia by the Deployment of the Soviet Army in Kurzeme in 1939 / Ēriks Tilgass. Environmental Damage Caused to Latvia by the Soviet Baltic Navy and Estimated Losses / Ojārs Gērke. Methods and Results of Remediation of the Historically Polluted Territory, Former Soviet air Force Base at Lielvārde / Oļģerts Aleksāns.

Aim of this report is to analyse intellectual property and technology transfer markets in Latvia. The paper approaches local technology transfer policy, describes efficiency of R and D policy and IPR system of Latvia. Today, Latvia is not yet a knowledge economy, but developing a knowledge economy has become the objective of the Latvian government, in a situation when country Latvia is more heavily reliant on labour intensive and low - tech industries, having little need for new knowledge.

The objective of this Publication is to analyse the influence of the Presidency of Latvia at the EU Council on the indicators of the tourism industry in the regions of Latvia. Taking into consideration the geopolitical situation created as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Latvia, especially its regions, experienced a substantial drop in the tourism indicators in 2014. For example, the occupancy rate of overnight accommodations in Riga – in 2013 the average occupancy rate was 63%, but in 2014 – only 58.66%, in the regions of Latvia – in 2013 the average occupancy rate was 52.75%, but in 2014 – 49.3%. Therefore the tourism industry looked with hope towards the anticipated Presidency of Latvia at the EU Council in the first half-year of 2015. In the preparation process of the Publication the available articles and experience of other countries and the data of inquiry of the entrepreneurs of overnight accommodations and catering industry in the regions of Latvia were analysed. The results of the research reveal similar tendencies between the experience of the presidency period in Latvia and Lithuania and can serve as basis for improvement of the situation during presidency of other countries.

In Latvia, the global business services sector accounts for 2.3 % of GDP, and its share in total service exports is 8 %, while the turnover of the sector in 2019 was estimated at EUR 400 m, which indicates that the global business services sector in Latvia is an important component of the national economy. The global business services sector in Latvia has developed relatively recently, so it has not yet been sufficiently assessed and researched. The aim of the research is to describe the factors affecting the development of the global business services sector in Latvia. The research concluded that the global business services sector in Latvia was promoted by such factors as the availability of labour and low labour costs, as well as a relatively favourable business environment. The potential of the global business services sector in Latvia is also characterized by its advantageous geographical location, especially from the perspective of Scandinavian investors (including in terms of cultural similarities), as well as the foreign language skills of potential employees. The establishment of the Association of Business Service Leaders in Latvia (ABSL Latvia) (the only such an association in the Baltic States that defends the interests of this sector) is also an important driver for the development of the sector.

In the European Union, including Latvia, catering services are the largest industry in the hospitality sector. The industry of catering services generates the largest part of value added and the majority of jobs in the hospitality sector. The research hypothesis is that the development of catering enterprises is unequal across the regions of Latvia, and various factors having different correlative interrelations affect it. The research aim is to investigate the factors affecting the development of catering enterprises in Latvia. According to the research result, low-turnover micro enterprises dominate in the industry of catering services in Latvia, and the number and proportion of enterprises of this size tend to increase. Medium and large catering enterprises in Latvia are concentrated in Riga region. The geographic distribution of catering enterprises in the regions of Latvia is uneven: the highest concentration of enterprises is in Riga region. In the period of 2005-2010, the number of enterprises has increased in the regions but these changes were insignificant. In Latvia, the number of catering enterprises per 1000 inhabitants significantly lags behind that in other European countries. A correlation analysis showed that household expenses on restaurants, cafes, and hotels (r=0.97); the number of visitors in tourist accommodations (r=0.93); food expenses of foreign overnight travellers (r=0.91); the number of foreign visitors in tourist accommodations (r=0.74); and household expenses on food and non-alcoholic beverages (r=0.65) affected the turnover of catering enterprises in Latvia. However, the number of residents (r=0.78) and the average net monthly wage of employees (r=0.53) affected the number of catering enterprises in Latvia. An analysis of the factors affecting the development of catering enterprises showed that during the economic crisis, households in Latvia concentrated their economic resources for satisfying their primary needs by reducing their expense on eating outside their home. The overnight traveller expense on food declined in Latvia, thus, the demand for services of catering enterprises also fell. After comparing the number of visitors in tourist accommodations in the regions of Latvia and the number of catering enterprises in the regions of Latvia, a causal relationship was observed – the number of catering enterprises was greater in the regions having a greater number of visitors in tourist accommodations.