Forest sector in Latvia, 2007
2007
Forests in Latvia have always offered and will continue to offer a diversity of benefits to the people of Latvia. They ensure raw materials for renewable and environmentally friendly products. They represent an important investment in improved economic welfare, biological diversity, environmental protection, the global carbon cycle, the protection of water resources, and the provision of social, cultural, historical and recreational opportunities for the Latvian people. Links among the forest, the forestry industry and the timber industry are becoming increasingly clear, and together they form the forest sector. Productive and healthy forests which are managed on a sustainable basis - these are the cornerstone for our country's flourishing timber industry. The economic viability of the forest, in turn, can only be ensured if the industry of manufacture products with a high level of added value and remains competitive in its field. There was a rapid increase in domestic consumption of forest products in 2006. There is greater demand in Latvia for environmentally friendly products and homes. That, in turn, has helped small and medium companies in the forest sector to grow and develop. We also saw in 2006, however, that there is an immediate need to enhance the competitiveness of companies in the forest sector. New technologies, innovative products and human resources must all be developed so as to ensure the successful development of the sector in future, too.
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