Information technology is increasingly permeating the lives of every modern individual, profoundly impacting them as consumers. With e-commerce and online shopping now firmly entrenched in daily routines, it becomes imperative to conduct research and establish a comprehensive e-shopper/e-buyer profile. The purpose of this article is to study modern Internet shoppers in Latvia and describe the profile of a typical e-buyer to identify possible problems and prospects for the development of e-commerce for Latvian companies during the relevant period. The article highlights some aspects that characterize Latvian e-buyers and their behaviour as consumers, analysing their buying habits by age structure in dynamics and comparing data for the period from 2010 to 2021. The frequency of online purchases by Latvian users is also examined. The key characteristics of several basic portraits of the typical e-shopper in Latvia are substantiated. The analysis employs monographic and statistical methods, and visual images are presented based on Eurostat data. The research authors conclude that the Latvian segment of online buyers is rather conservative, but it is becoming more and more active in exploring the possibilities of online shopping. The key characteristics of several basic profiles of an average e-shopper in Latvia are also justified.

The Baltic States have a three-tier pension system. Pillar II is the state funded pension scheme in which contributions are made automatically from an employee’s gross salary as part of social contributions. The contributions to Pillar II state funded pension schemes may be invested in several pension plans with different risk ratios of which three types are the most common: active, balanced and conservative ones. The accumulation of funds and consequently a partial amount of an old-age pension depends on the chosen pension plan and the manager of funds. The research aim is to assess the operation efficiency of the state funded pension schemes in the Baltic States. The research mainly employs and provides the analysis on the statistical data on the value and return of assets and number of Pillar II scheme participants. Theoretical discussion is built upon the use of scientific publications by means of monographic descriptive method, correlation and regression analyses as well as the methods of analysis and synthesis. In Latvia, 25.62% on average of all state funded pension plans participants have chosen conservative strategy, while only 8.36% on average have chosen this strategy in Lithuania. In Estonia (75.49%) and Lithuania (69.13%), the majority of assets are accumulated in the balanced strategy pension plans. The research results show that pension plans have positive return in long-term; though, sharp fluctuations and negative return might be demonstrated in short-term. Both in Lithuania and Latvia exists a negative correlation between Pillar II pension schemes and inflation, i.e. the return of a pension scheme decreases with the increase of inflation meaning that inflation alongside with other economic and political factors might be considered as a factor affecting the return of pension schemes.

Performance is a concept which is critical to both conventional businesses as well as social enterprises. However, for the latter, performance is closely tied to social impact which social enterprises and governments supporting the social entrepreneurship field are seeking to achieve. Despite the criticality of the topic, in Latvia performance of social enterprises has not been analysed in detail before; therefore, this study serves as a valuable starting point for discussions and evidence-based policy and also as a benchmark for future development in the field. Research results indicate that the Latvian social enterprises regard their performance across the social dimensions to be stronger, compared to their results in the business/financial dimensions. A greater balance between the social and businesses/ financial performance dimensions is desirable, providing ample space for interventions aimed at strengthening the business skills and capacities of social enterprises, paying particular attention to those engaged in work integration.

It is generally estimated that gas, which generates more than half of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from waste industries in landfills, is seen as a serious environmental problem worldwide. It is therefore essential to promote management methods to reduce GHG emissions from landfills as well as other sources. One way of achieving this is the usage of different types of biocover applied to them. The aim of this study is to clarify the impact of the biocover created on GHG emissions. An experiment was conducted in laboratory conditions that studied the effectiveness of biocover developed in the laboratory. Three experimental columns with a diameter of 160 mm and a height of 1500 mm were created. Active compost saturated with water at a thickness of 500 mm was used as a source of methane, a permeable layer of sand at a thickness of 300 mm was further formed and finally covered with biocover. Biocover represented 60% of fine-fraction waste, 20% of soil and 20% of compost. The experiment was launched on June 6, 2022, and the first measurements were made two weeks later. All measurements were performed with the CRDS gas measurement device Picarro G2508 (Picarro Inc., USA California). All data analysis was carried out using Descriptive statistics methods. The largest reduction in emissions is projected directly for methane emissions, as biocover technology is appropriate to reduce methane emissions. Other GHG emissions are also expected to be reduced. NH3 emission measurements were also carried out to investigate the impact of the biocover on it. This experiment shows that the biocover created is effective and can be composed of material that has already been served. The experiment is intended to continue to obtain long-term data on the development of biotransformation and to develop more promising approaches in the future to reduce GHG emissions from landfills.

peer reviewed

The Conservatiuon Tillage for Sustainable Crop Production Systems has been testing and developing conservation tillage systems in the semi-arid areas of Masvingo Province since 1988. A dual approach of on-station research and adaptive on-farm research has been taken. Out of five tillage techniques, only mulch ripping can be considered ecologically sustainable. No-till tied ridging follows closely due to its perfect soil and water conservation effect. Two other minimum tillage systems, hand-hoeing and clean ripping are to reduce soil loss as compared to conventional mouldboard ploughing, but their level of soil loss is still above tolerable levels. Perfomance of the different tillage techniques has proved to be highly variable depending on soil, site and farmer specific conditions. To address the problem of high variability of conditions it was concluded that different techniques and systems should be promoted as options rather than blanket recommendations and that farmers should be encouraged to select, test and experiment with options in order to adapt technologies to their specific needs and conditions. The paper concludes that conservation tillage alone without further aspects of crop husbandry and soil fertility can only result in minor yield increases and does not necessarily increase the sustainability of the crop production system. Extension and further research should focus on integrated approach for land husbandry.

The paper outlines the occurence and distribution of vleis in Zimbabwe. Historical and Current utilization practices of these vleis are briefly described. Potentially safe and productive systems of cultivating vleis were investigated. These included three tillage practices (ridge and furrow, flat and paddy) and three cropping patterns (monocropping, intercropping and sequential cropping). Results of crop performance are discussed for the period 1983 to 1994. During the years when both maize and rice were harvested (1984/85, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1989/90, 1992/93 and 1993/94) maize grain yield averaged 6219 kg/ha whilst that of the rice was 2129 kkg/ha. Maize yielded grain every season even those with below average rainfall. In 1991/92 seasons when Zimbabwe and indeed the sub-Saharan region experienced the worst drought in history, vlei maize on ridges averaged grain yield of 1139 g/ha. Soil fertility, ground water levels and precipitation were monitored throughout the experimental period. Implications of vlei cultivation on the socio-economic aspects were assessed in view of possible transfer. Future research and extension objectives and strategies are highlighted. The need for coordinated and multi-displinary approach on the development of vlei utilization packkages is emphasized

The pre-independence transfer systems were a result of well-calculated strategy to civilise and Christianise the native farmer so that he would not compete with his white counterpart. Politics play a predominant role in reinforcing a culture of top-down extension in which the farmer did not play any meaningful role in technology-generation. the resultant system was so entrenched in the concept of technocentricism that African Agriculture became a shadow of European agriiculture and its commoditisation process. What we see today and probably for a long time in the future, is a perpetuation of seventy years of a well-orchestrated agenda in which knowledge is believed to flow from one source to the user in a hierarchical order. The fifteen years of independence have not made much change yet in influencing the systems.