Manure is a valuable organic resource for sustainable agriculture, enhancing soil fertility, and is crucial for nutrient cycling; however, it also contributes significantly to methane and nitrous oxide emissions. The European Green Deal and Latvia's National Energy and Climate Plan have set targets for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including those related to improved manure management. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the future manure production in Latvian agriculture to assess the potential for reducing GHG emissions by 2050. Using the LASAM model developed in Latvia, the number of farm animals, the amount of manure, and the associated GHG emissions were projected for the period until 2050. The calculations used the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology and were based on national indicators and current national GHG inventory data to cover the years 2021–2050. The study predicts significant changes in the structure of manure in Latvia by 2050, as the proportion of liquid manure is expected to increase, while the amount of solid and manure deposited by grazing animals is expected to decrease. The results of the GHG emission projection showed that by 2050, total emissions from manure management would decrease by approximately 5%, primarily due to a decline in the number of farm animals and, consequently, a reduction in the amount of manure. In contrast, methane emissions are expected to increase by approximately 5% due to production intensification. The research results emphasise the need to introduce more effective methane emission reduction technologies and improve projection approaches.

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing One Health threat driven by the excessive use of antimi­crobials (AMs) in human and veterinary medicine. Recognizing this, the European Green Deal’s Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy set a target to reduce veterinary AM sales by 50% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Understanding the performance of European Union (EU) Member States (MS) is critical to evaluate progress and identify gaps. This study assesses the perfor­mance of EU-27 MS in reducing veterinary AM sales during the progress period (2018–2022) and estimates their likelihood of achieving the 2030 reduction target. Materials and Methods: Data from the European Medicines Agency (European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption) and Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans were analyzed. Indicators included AM sales (mg/pop­ulation correction units [PCUs]), trends from 2018–2022, and national targets for CAP Strategic Plans result indicator R.43 (“Limiting antimicrobial use”). MS were grouped by performance level, strong, average, limited, or insufficient, using the zero unitarization method, and results were visualized with color-coded classifications. Results: Between 2018 and 2022, AM sales for food-producing animals declined by 31% across the EU, with notable reduc­tions in Portugal (−57%), Malta (−48%), France (−44%), and Latvia (−43%). However, sales increased in Poland (+7%) and Lithuania (+36%), and the largest absolute sales remained concentrated in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Germany (over 70% of total EU sales). PCU analyses revealed uneven intensity of AM use, with Spain and Poland showing high usage rates, while Germany and France demonstrated more efficient use. During the progress period, 20 MS were rated as strong contrib­utors, while three MS showed limited contributions. For the target period (2023–2030), only six MS (e.g., Italy, Romania, Latvia, and Malta) are projected to maintain strong contributions, whereas seven MS, including Poland, Lithuania, and Denmark, are unlikely to achieve the target. Conclusion: The EU-27 achieved substantial reductions in AM sales during 2018–2022, yet performance remains uneven across MS. While some countries have already met or are close to the 2030 target, others require accelerated policy inter­ventions, veterinary stewardship, and stronger CAP alignment. Achieving the EU-wide 50% reduction by 2030 will depend heavily on high-consumption MS adopting best practices from leading countries. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial sales, EU Member States, European Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy, policy performance.

Manure is a valuable organic resource for sustainable agriculture, enhancing soil fertility and promoting nutrient cycling; however, it also contributes significantly to methane and nitrous oxide emissions. The European Green Deal and Latvia’s National Energy and Climate Plan have set targets for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including those related to improved manure management. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the future manure production in Latvia to determine the potential for reducing GHG emissions by 2050. Using the LASAM model developed in Latvia, the number of farm animals, the amount of manure, and the associated GHG emissions were projected for the period up to 2050. The calculations followed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology and were based on national indicators and current national GHG inventory data covering the period of 2021–2050. Significant changes in the structure of manure in Latvia are predicted by 2050, with the proportion of liquid manure expected to increase while the amounts of solid manure and manure deposited by grazing animals are expected to decrease. The GHG emission projection results indicate that by 2050, total emissions from manure management will decrease by approximately 5%, primarily due to a decline in the number of farm animals and, consequently, a reduction in the amount of manure. In contrast, methane emissions are expected to increase by approximately 5% due to production intensification. The research results emphasise the need to introduce more effective methane emission reduction technologies and improved projection approaches.

Šī monogrāfija piedāvā autoru detalizētu un visaptverošu skatījumu uz Latvijas jaunākās agrārās reformas vēsturi, tās attīstību un lauksaimniecības politikas veidošanos no 20. gadsimta 80. gadiem līdz mūsdienām. Monogrāfijā apkopoti autoru, kuri paši piedalījās agrārās reformas veidošanā, skatījums uz reformas gaitu un rezultātiem. Sniegts zinātnieku un attiecīgo procesu līdzgaitnieku vērtējums par reformas vēsturiskajiem aspektiem, lauksaimniecības attīstību, politikas veidošanos pēc Latvijas iestāšanās Eiropas Savienībā, kā arī konsultāciju dienesta un lauksaimnieku nevalstisko organizāciju veidošanos. Žurnāliste Ilze Būmane ir intervējusi dažādu Latvijas reģionu dažādas specializācijas un lieluma saimniecību īpašniekus un kooperatīvu vadītājus, lai tādējādi vispusīgi atspoguļotu gan reformas gaitu, gan tās rezultātus. Monogrāfija ir tapusi 2024.–2025. gadā un tās apjoms ir 552 lpp. un tajā ir 11 nodaļas ar 73 apakšnodaļām. Monogrāfijas izstrādes mērķis – izpētīt un analizēt jaunākās agrārās reformas vēsturiskos, politiskos, zinātniskos un praktiskos aspektus, lai novērtētu tās ietekmi un rezultātus lauksaimniecības attīstībā Latvijā. Bet tā kā Latvija 2004. gadā iestājās Eiropas Savienībā, tad monogrāfijā atspoguļoti arī Kopējās lauksaimniecības politikas un atbalstu maksājumu nozīme lauksaimniecības izaugsmē, kā arī lauku saimniecību, kooperatīvu, konsultāciju dienesta un nevalstisko organizāciju veidošanās rezultāti.