The modern agricultural system is wasteful, with Europe generating some 700 million tonnes of agricultural and food waste each year. In the context of the agri-food chain, the ‘circular economy’ aims to reduce waste while also making best use of the ‘wastes’ produced by using economically viable processes and procedures to increase their value. In this paper we will try to frame the key issues associated with food waste into the emerging bioeconomy and circular-economic mode, suggesting that these three concepts are intertwined, and considering them unitarily might provide win-win solutions that minimize wastage, promote income growth and job creation, and prompt sustainable local development. In terms of performance and economic considerations, peat is in many ways an ideal constituent of soilless growing media. Peat has become the material of choice throughout plant production systems from propagation to saleable ‘finished plant’ material. However, the extraction of peat has well documented negative impacts on the environment; arguably the most important of these is the release of stable, sequestered carbon into the active carbon cycle, thereby exacerbating climate change. During the last 20 years, peat extraction has come under increasing scrutiny throughout Europe and particularly in the UK. This has generated an abundance of studies examining a diverse range of alternative materials (as compost, vermicompost, digestate, biochar). In the selection of new materials, environmental considerations have become as important as performance and economic cost. In this context there has been a justifiable emphasis on organic materials derived from agricultural, industrial and municipal waste streams. For future urban sustainability it is necessary to develop integrated processes, which can be part of a circular bio-economy. However the challenge still remains of simultaneously recycling the nutrients from the waste. The greenhouse horticulture applied to nutraceutical species is the ideal sector for improving the conversion rate of organic waste into food and health friendly products. On farm composting/vermicomposting/pyrolysis/anaerobic digestion and the use of the end-product to the partial substitution of peat in nursery activity allows reducing the environmental and economic costs in the production of potted plants.

In Latvia peat production is historically important economic sector, giving significant contribution to rural economic development and providing work places in rural areas, where other job opportunities are limited. Every peat extraction field has certain lifespan, based on economic, social or ecological assumptions. Every peat field could be extracted for set period of time, after which peat extraction is not feasible any more. Current legislation in Latvia requires re-cultivating of places, where mineral resources, including peat, were extracted. Aim of the study is to evaluate afforestation as one of the cut-away peatland re-cultivation possibility. Economic analysis were done for extracted peat field afforestation with birch, black alder, grey alder, pine, spruce, hybrid aspen, poplar and willow. The economic calculations were done comparing different timber products from plantations, different planting materials and plantation lifespans. Lowest investment costs for plantation establishment on cut-away peatlands are for pine and spruce plantations and highest for willow plantations. Highest revenues in plantations with 20 years rotation cycle are in poplar plantations with 0.2 m cuttings and lowest in grey alder plantations. In plantations with rotation cycle 40 years highest revenues are in hybrid aspen plantations and lowest in pine plantations. 

Individual municipal waste streams of Kaunas (Lithuania) in the period 2012-2015 period was found that mixed municipal waste collected in the city of Kaunas municipality, prefabricated containers, compared to the 2012 decreases. 2015. Collect points mixed municipal waste are reduced from 118,065.56 tons to 100,470.6 tons, accounting for 15%. Biodegradable (green waste) quantities of green waste collection a site does not increase compared in 2012 and 2015. (in 2014 these waste was not collected). The decrease may be affected by that green waste is used boiler house that green waste for energy recovery. The recyclable waste separate secondary maximum (4.5 times) Increased quantities of collected waste paper, plastic positive capture an increase of 1.5 times. Glass collection containers steadily decreasing (from 2.46 tons 2012 to 1094 tons 2015). The trend to rise only noticeable only after complementary systems and DGASA (deposit system). In particular increased textile waste collection (up to 10 times). Toxic waste collection Kaunas City Municipality is constantly increasing tire (up to 2 times); waste containing mercury and packages containing hazardous substances (up to 3 times.). Electrical and electronic waste collection throughout the 2012 -2015 year. Period effective complementary systems (collected 99 % of such waste), but the amounts vary from year to year, and substantial growth was observed. Population change shows that especially affect the population of secondary separate paper (r= 0.994, p = 0.04), plastic (r=0.923, p =0, 0.047), tires (r=0.960, p =0, 0.040), and toxic waste (lamps, and hazardous materials) collection. According to the results it can be said that some of the waste (green, glass, electrical equipment) gathers a group of people decided to lead.

The success of the forest regeneration with planting is determined by many factors and one of them is soil preparation. Chosen soil preparation method impacts different environmental aspects and one of them is soil temperature and that is one of main abiotic factors determining the growth of roots.   Development of the root system is a key prerequisite for growth of newly planted trees. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of the soil preparation method on the surface (5 and 20 cm) temperature of the soil. The study was done in 8 young stand sites with different soil preparation methods, soil preparation design (orientation relative to cardinal points) and different forest types in central and north-western part of Latvia. Soil temperature measurements were taken at 5 cm and 20 cm depths in both sides of furrows and in spot mounds at every study site with hand held thermometer, in few young stands unprepared soil temperature was also measured. Mean values and standard error were calculated and the statistical significance was determined by:  the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, the Kruskal-Wallis Test and pairwise Wilcoxon test with a 95% confidence level. Our results show that soil preparation positively impact soil temperature compared to unprepared soil and soil temperature in spot mounds was significantly higher than in furrows during clear and hot (27-32°C) day at both depth and in overcast weather with moderate air temperature (20-23°C) in depth of 20 cm.

Nowadays it is paramount to promote bioenergy for climate protection, energy security and creation of income/jobs. In this perspective, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for biogas and digestate production seems to be a viable way to simultaneously improve waste management while producing Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The main objective of this work is to assess the environmental impact associated with biomethane and digestate production from an AD plant as Global Warming Potential, expressed in CO2 equivalents. Therefore, a LCA was carried out for the production of biomethane ready for the injection into the Italian distribution natural gas grid. A mix from different waste sources (cattle manure and slurry, pig slurry, Citrus industry by-product, chicken manure, manure from broilers, triticale silage and waste from vegetable cleaning) is considered for biogas and digestate production. Besides biomethane this plant will produce digestate, that is a biological and nutrient-rich fertiliser. Thus, the cycle of circular economy is closed, as the recovery of matter and energy is carried out from waste. The results clearly indicate the importance of the process steps transport of biomass to AD plant and, above all, methane upgrading (separation by membrane). Depending on the high amount of the substrate and long distance travelled, Citrus waste substrate transport accounts for the largest share in GHG emissions with 0.229 kg CO2-eq/Nm3 or 70.5 % of total transportation emission. Greenhouse gas emissions estimated for the various process stages for the Sclafani Bagni plant showed, that methane upgrading emits 1.95 kg CO2-eq/Nm3, while other processes totally emits 0.525 kg CO2-eq/Nm3. The LCIA results confirmed the negative total impact of the process with grid injection, in terms of kg of CO2 eq.: the LCA verified the carbon-negative-bio-energy concept of the project. Therefore, biomethane derived from biogas is an entirely renewable and readily available low carbon alternative fuel, that can be locally produced from organic waste and capable to replace the fossil natural gas in the near future.

National forest inventory (NFI) is an efficient way to monitor forest resources, including increment, mortality, and harvest rate. It provides accurate statistical information about land use data, land use change and biomass stock change and enables to tie the specific increment, mortality and harvest data to defined land use category, dominant tree species, site types etc. Recently there have been introduced changes in land use calculation method using NFI data in Latvia. New calculation method takes into account present land use data and land use data from two previous cycles considerably reducing uncertainty of the estimates and takes into account possible land management practices which may alter the land use category in long-term, also usage of auxiliary data has been introduced to increase accuracy of determination of final land-use category. Changes in land use calculation method directly affects distribution of data on increment, morality and harvests between land use categories. The aim of the study is to determine increment, mortality and harvest rate in Latvia between the first and third NFI cycle (2004-2018) using updated land use data and to compare obtained result with data from the most recent greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory report.

Soil compaction is the compression of soil particles in a lower volume as a consequence of the reduction of the spaces existing among the particles themselves. This phenomenon is caused by natural forces and, above all, human ones. In order to estimate the field damages that can be caused by the traffic of agricultural machines, the load and the mean pressure applied by the tyres onto the soil can be measured. The research aim is to determine the pressure applied by each considered tractor onto the soil, in order to evaluate the effect of the traffic of tractors onto the soil itself. A total of 783 wheeled tractors manufactured and marketed in the last 35 years (1979-2014) were investigated. Data like construction year, manufacturer, model, power, total weight, weight (load) on the front and rear axle, wheelbase, front and rear type of tyres, as well as the tyre specifications, were collected. The mean pressure applied by each tractor onto the soil was computed by dividing the load applied on each tyre by its contact area. In order to reduce the pressure applied by agricultural machines onto the soil, the vehicle mass and, therefore weight, has to be reduced, or the tyre contact area on the soil has to be increased. Farmers can easily increase the tyre contact area, by decreasing the tyre inflation pressure or increasing the tyre width, i.e. mounting tyres having a larger section width, or Terra Tyres, or twin-tyres. Over the last 40 years: the mean power of mechanical four wheel drive (MFWD) tractors and four wheel drive (4WD) (isodiametric tyres) tractors increased, while that of two wheel drive (2WD) tractors remained constant; the power and the total weight increased, while the weight-power ratio decreased. Practically the reduction of the mean pressure on the soil resulted rather limited, meaning that tractor manufacturers have not bore in mind soil compaction.

Human living conditions are the opportunity to meet his everyday needs in the field of housing, trade, gastronomy, living services, health care, education, culture, leisure. In order to offer a new perspective on living conditions, we have linked them to rural social infrastructure. The purpose of the article is to present of the ways of defining the concept of living conditions indicated in the literature. To achieve the main goal, the following research tasks were formulated: (1) to indicate of similarities between definitions and different elements (2) propose a new approach to defining living conditions (from a local point of view, for rural areas). These questions guide our research work in order to gain a better understanding about how living conditions in rural areas develop. The main research methods were used: analysis and generalization of scientific literature and documents, abstraction method, logical and systematical reasoning, graphic presentation of comparison, abstracts and other methods. The research results disclosed that the living conditions could be highly affected by other spheres of life; highly diverse requires considering the subjective perceptions and assessments of the people who live and work in these rural area. A new approach to defining living conditions in rural areas is to relate living conditions to the social infrastructure.

This paper analyses and compares regional food systems in Latvia and Lithuania from the perspective of sustainable food security and poses three questions: (i) what are the general food system characteristics and drivers of change in Latvia and Lithuania? (ii) how are the regional food systems constructed and performing? (iii) what are the conditions and pathways for regional food systems to become more sustainable?  The paper examines in-depth the food systems in two regions – Pierīga region in Latvia and Vilnius region in Lithuania. The research is carried out within the framework of the EU projects TRANSMANGO and SALSA, and the Latvian Council of Sciences project SINFO. We find that food chain concentration and the interests of big food industries and retailers drive food systems in Latvia and Lithuania while civic and consumer-driven initiatives are becoming more important in stimulating a transition towards sustainable diets. The regional food systems are a complex intertwinement between the agro-industrial, proximity, domestic, and ecological subsystems. The pathways towards more sustainable regional food systems are difficult to negotiate and enforce as they require collaboration among various stakeholders who have different agendas. The long-term prospects of the regional food systems in terms of social and economic sustainability cannot be viewed in isolation from the demographic trends in the region, the steady depopulation in rural areas and efforts in strengthening urban-rural synergies.

Agrifood systems are facing significant challenges, science and innovation are key to shift the trajectory towards ensuring sustainability and resilience. Thus, scaling assumes a critical role in agricultural research for development (AR4D). Scaling consists of a continuous process in which innovations are tailored, used, and embedded into societal dynamics adapted to various contexts, aiming to create widespread positive impacts. This systematic literature review explores scaling within the context of AR4D, with a particular focus on the role of social capital. Using bibliometric and factor analysis methods, we identified the intellectual structure in the field of scaling, revealing the knowledge domains and disciplines that have determined their emergence and growth as a scientific discipline. Then, we analyzed the role of social capital in the scaling literature. Our results showed that the field of scaling is composed by four distinct literature clusters: the innovation and adoption of agricultural technology, the economics of technology adoption, sustainability in agricultural innovations, and the emergence of scaling as a research field. Disciplines such as sustainable agriculture, systemic thinking, technological transitions, and technology adoption have contributed to the development of the field. The results indicate that the explicit consideration of social capital in the scaling literature within AR4D is limited despite the importance of relationships, trust, and reciprocity values in the process of scaling. This study highlights the continuous growth and multidisciplinary nature of scaling as a research field in AR4D, reflecting its complexity. International agricultural research centers and universities from developed countries have significantly advanced this field, also underlying the importance of locally rooted, and participatory research. Future research on the creation, development, and strengthening of social capital in scaling processes can contribute foster intentional and responsible scaling of AR4D innovations.