Several species of Heracleum have been introduced as a cultivated plant and is out of human control in Latvia. Heracleum is a very harmful to humans, especially to children because of causing skin burn. Eradication of the established plant colonies is practically impossible therefore individual efforts are not successful. In Latvia, botanists, plant protection experts and practicians are involved in the solution of this problem. The tasks of the project were as follows: recognising hogweed spread in Latvia; elaboration of temporary recommendations and establishing trials, and performance of observations with the target on science based weed localising measures. After request of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2001, Latvia University of Agriculture collaborating with Latvian Agricultural Advisory and Training Centre performed questionnaire of local power about the spreading of hogweed. Results of the questionnaire showed that total polluted area in Latvia was 12225 ha.

Proceedings comprise research results of tourist lodgings and number of public catering enterprises and location in regions of Latvia. Research showed that number of tourist lodgings and beds gradually increase in Latvia but location is irregular in Latvia districts. Also public catering enterprises have concentrated in Riga region but there is lack of them in the other regions.

Development of sustainable tourism in Latvia is planned and implemented according to Agenda 21 and Baltic 21 for tourism sector, recommendations of European Commission, Council of Europe, HELCOM and World Tourism Organisation, as well as national legislation, policy papers and programmes. The basis for sustainable tourism in Latvia was established in 1997, when the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the Concept of Tourism Development in Latvia. It is secured by the Latvian national Tourism Development Programme for years 2001-2010. According to the prognosis of the World Tourism Organisation, the highest tourism growth in Europe will be in the Baltic Sea region. It creates a challenge for tourism industry Latvia possibly become an attractive, competitive destination of sustainable tourism.

The paper characterizes economic and financial conditions of organic farms in Latvia. The indicators of organic farming of the above aspects are estimated on the basis of the results of a survey carried out in organic farms of Latvia. The investigation reflects that the conjuncture of organic production is higher in overall agriculture in Latvia. The results also suggest that direct state subsidies do not motivate farmers to increase the sale of their produce on the market and farmers have difficulties in getting loans for production development. On the basis of the study recommendations how to improve the economic and financial conditions of organic farms are given.

The paper deals with tax risk problems in Latvian agriculture. The main conclusion is: Latvian agriculture. The main conclusion is: Latvian agriculture is subject to different risks and one of them is the taxation policy being implemented in Latvia. The taxation system in Latvia is undergoing yet another change at present in conformation with EU requirements.

Economical development in rural area is far behind the development in cities/towns of Latvia. One of main factors, what makes such differences, is insufficient development of social capital in rural areas. This paper analyses some factors that have an influence on such situation and researches development possibilities of social capital in rural areas of Latvia.

In order to maintain genetic resources of domestic animals in Latvia, a special management organisation has been established. However, the list of maintainable breeds is not yet defined, as there are no laboratories in Latvia that could analyse molecular genetic characters of the farm animals. Thanks to the Council of Northern countries that provided the funding and Animal Gene Bank that directed the international project N-EUROCAD, realised during 2000-2002, it became possible to obtain exact data and judge about some our animal breeds and their relevance to other breeds in the Baltic and Europe. The maintenance of domestic animal genetic resources in Latvia is possible only if it is supported by the state and realised with the involvement and co-operation of association of farm animal breeders.

The article depicts the importance of co-operation in the process of development of agricultural and processing branches in Latvia relating the development of agriculture with the movement of co-operation and its ever-increasing role in Europe. In comparison with EU countries co-operation in Latvia, especially in sphere of production and trade of agricultural products, is rather weakly developed. It is related to several factors (the lack of information and co-operation etc.). The necessity of co-operation in Latvia is determined mostly by the big share of the small producers in the agricultural and processing industries (for example, 59.9% of the farms keep 1 to 5 cows), causing difficulties of the selling of farming produce (not providing the necesarry amounts of products and increasing their selling costs).

The paper concerns findings of a study about land management system in Latvia. It examines the meaning and the use of the land survey concept. The land survey concept was historically developed and used mostly in Eastern part of Europe. In Western countries and partly in Central Europe land survey is filled up with real property formation, land reallocation, land consolidation, and depends on physical planning. Nowadays "Land survey" (Russ. "zemleustrojstvo") is used for realization of the land reform and mentioned within legislation of transition period in Latvia. This contribution includes several views on land survey and way how it relates to the land-use planning, as wel as, the role of land survey projects in Latvia and terms of land reorganization and land consolidation that are used in the light of Land Administration Guidelines.

Tendencies of regionalisation in EU member states make evident that Latvia cannot be back warding in this respect. Regionalisation serves as impressive means to provide a balanced development all over the whole territory of the country. Putting up without regionalisation and satisfying only with one level self-government system may leave little hope that Latvia will be in capacity to increase its economic, social, territorial and culture-historical growth considerably before long.