The LIFE OrgBalt project organizing workshops and training sessions across project participant countries – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, and Germany – aimed to train landowners, non-governmental organizations, and policy planners. These sessions are designed to disseminate the research findings and supportive tools developed for the sustainable management of nutrient rich organic soils.
The aim of the training workshops is to transfer the knowledge and support tools developed in the project to the target groups – land owners and managers, farmers’ and foresters’ non-governmental organisations, rural and forestry advisors. The training workshops provide the participants with information and stimulate discussion on the following issues:
- Information on the project and its results.
- European Union and project Member States’ intentions, policies and regulations regarding sustainable organic soil management and climate change mitigation in the forestry and agriculture sectors.
- Climate change mitigation measures implemented in the project.
- Tools developed, demonstration and training within the project – Private-Public Cooperation Model and Simulation Tool.
The Private-Public Cooperation Model is one of the tools developed by partner Baltic Coasts to help landowners or managers assess the economic and environmental benefits of different climate change mitigation measures.
The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), a partner in the project, has created a Simulation Tool intended for policy planning and decision-making on regional and national scales. This tool enables the assessment of mitigation measures chosen within the LIFE OrgBalt project, considering their economic, employment, and greenhouse gas emission reduction impacts. Moreover, the model aids in identifying the most effective deployment of these measures.
In addition, training sessions in Latvia incorporate visits to the project’s nature-based demonstration sites – Mežole Forest Research Station and the demonstration plots at the Vecauce Training Farm.
Nine training workshops are scheduled for the LIFE OrgBalt project, with two workshops planned in each member state. Four workshops have already been conducted: on November 23, 2023, in Finland; on April 4, 2024, in Latvia; and on April 8, 2024, in Estonia (training and national workshop). Due to the focus of the model and tools on Baltic soils, only one joint workshop is being held in Germany. This workshop targets consultant organizations and NGOs, facilitating discussions on potential modifications and future implementation of the models.
LIFE OrgBalt national workshops:
Simultaneously, in April and May 2024, the project partner, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia is coordinating national workshops across the project participant countries concerning the management of nutrient-rich organic soils for climate change mitigation. In partner countries national workshops were integrated with training sessions to engage more stakeholders without overwhelming them with numerous separate events, especially considering that many activities in this domain involve specific stakeholders. In Latvia, however, the national workshop was conducted independently. These workshops aim to introduce participants to:
- The significance of organic soils within the European Union framework and the influence of policy initiatives on organic soil management.
- Insights from international experts in organic soil management, offering perspectives from other countries to aid in the development of similar climate policies for organic soil management.
The national workshops will explore the visions of the project partner countries regarding the planning and integration of various EU policies at the national level. The aim is to harmonize all requirements in a sustainable manner, ensuring that current decisions contribute wisely and effectively to long-term land management goals. Therefore, fostering the exchange of expertise and insights is crucial, and the national workshops are designed to facilitate discussions and gather perspectives from a range of experts.
On April 8th, Estonia hosted a combined national workshop and training session focused on the sustainable management of organic soils, along with a discussion on project outcomes. Meanwhile, on April 10th, Latvia hosted a national workshop addressing climate change mitigation opportunities and challenges within the framework of the EU Green Deal, alongside insights from Germany on restoring the hydrological regime of organic soils. Similar workshops are scheduled throughout April and May in Germany, Lithuania, and Finland.
This is the second round of LIFE OrgBalt national workshops on climate change mitigation measures in nutrient rich organic soils. The initial round of national workshops occurred in 2020 across partner countries, during which key stakeholders were acquainted with the project and its ongoing and planned activities.
LIFE OrgBalt training and national workshops:
- 23.11.2023 Training workshop in Finland
- 04.04.2024 Training workshop in Latvia (Launkalne)
- 08.04.2024 Training Workshop and National Workshop in Estonia. Presentations>>>
- 10.04.2024 National workshop in Latvia. Presentations>>>
- 12.04.2024 Training workshop and National workshop in Germany
- 17.04.2024 Training workshop in Lithuania
- 19.04.2024 Training workshop and National workshop in Lithuania
- 26.04.2024 Training workshop in Latvia (Vecauce)
- 30.05.2024 Training workshop and National workshop in Finland
