LSIWC Researcher Jānis Rižikovs Explores Spain’s Experience in the Sustainable Use of Forest Resources
In early May 2025, the city of León, Spain, hosted more than 50 experts, researchers, and entrepreneurs from across Europe as part of an international study visit organized within the FOREST4EU project. Over the course of three dynamic days, participants presented innovations and explored new approaches in the management of non-wood forest products, with a particular focus on chestnut cultivation, pine resin tapping, and mushroom resource management. Special attention was given to the mushroom governance system, which includes harvesting restrictions, registration procedures, and quality labels.
This experience offers valuable insights for the sustainable use of Latvia’s forest resources. Experts identified potential collaboration opportunities with the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, including the application of biomass processing solutions to utilize chestnut wood and shell residues. Such cooperation could support the development of high value-added products by leveraging LSIWC’s expertise in the field of biorefining.
The visit will contribute to the expansion of LSIWC’s scientific capacity in forest sector innovation and help broaden the institute’s international collaboration network. This kind of international cooperation is essential for developing sustainable and innovative approaches to forestry, grounded in scientific research and practical experience.
FOREST4EU is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, with the goal of promoting innovation and knowledge exchange in the forestry and agroforestry sectors across Europe. The project brings together more than 85 Operational Groups (OGs) from ten European countries, including Latvia, to collaboratively address sector challenges and share best practices.
The five thematic Innovation Topic Hubs (ITHubs) established by FOREST4EU focus on the following areas:
1. Wood mobilisation
2. Forest adaptation to climate change
3. Sustainable forest management and ecosystem services
4. Non-wood forest products
5. Agroforestry
These hubs foster the exchange and dissemination of innovation throughout Europe, ensuring that local initiatives are shared and scaled across regions.
The project also develops practical materials and training resources in multiple languages to support the implementation of innovation in practice. In addition, international study visits are organized to enable participants to directly experience innovative approaches in other countries. FOREST4EU also works closely with policymakers to ensure that innovations are embedded into policy documents and funding programmes, thereby advancing sustainable forestry and agroforestry across Europe.
