Head of the Unit:
Prof., Dr. oec. Irina Pilvere
E-mail:
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; Phone: +371 63023739
Among the first 48 academic members of the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (hereinafter – LAAFS) were 9 representatives of the agrarian economics: Artūrs Boruks, Inesis Feiferis, Harijs Kanaviņš, Vulfs Kozlinskis, Meikuls Locmers, Pēteris Rivža, Voldemārs Strīķis, Aleksandrs Vedļa.
The Unit of Agrarian Economics was founded in 1994. Currently there are 22 full members, 6 honorary members and 4 foreign members.
During its first years of operation the Unit focused mainly on study of specific issues of agrarian policy. In co-operation with the experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and German scientists five seminars were held on the five most urgent topics: agrarian policy, agrarian information, agrarian market, development of the rural territories, co-operation in agriculture. There were conclusions drawn and proposals developed that along with other materials from these seminars were of future use for development of complex programmes of agriculture and development of rural territories.
In 1994 representatives of the Unit along with other members of the LAAFS Presidium developed the project „The Main Strategic Aims and the Most Important Complex Scientific Problems for Rural Territories”. A concept for the development of the rural territories and the Law on Agriculture were developed.
Much attention was paid to provision of the scientific instruments for development or rural regions.
In 1997 the agrarian scientists initiated a complex scholarly project „The Scientific Basis for the Development of Agriculture in Latvia” (scientific co-ordinator V. Strīķis). The Project was completed in 2001 with a scientific monograph „The Scientific Basis of Agriculture in Latvia” (scientific editors and compilers V. Strīķis and K. Špoģis).
In the following years there were several projects developed, the implementation of which was led by representatives of the Unit of the Agrarian Economics of LAAFS, e.g. collaborative project „Risk Factors, Their Evaluation and Risk Management in the Latvian Agriculture” (sc. head P. Rivža), the project „Diversification of the Latvian Agriculture During Integration into the European Union” (sc. heads V. Strīķis and K. Špoģis), as well as other projects.
Every year international conferences and seminars are held. Members of the Unit are especially active in conducting lectures and acting as supervisors of doctoral students.
In 2010 the ESF project „Attraction of Human Resources to the Research of Renewable Energy Sources” (sc. head P. Rivža, researchers – members of the Unit A. Kalniņš and V. Strīķis, etc.).
The year 2011 was started with a scientific discussion on the development of the EU Common Agricultural Policy after the year 2013. Activities in this field are still in progress.
Members of the Unit of the Agrarian Economics of the LAAFS take active part in diverse organisational and scientific activities corresponding with the current issues in national economy.