Structuring the Discussions with Visioning Methodology
The workshop followed a structured visioning methodology designed to foster collaborative discussions and generate actionable insights. Participants, representing national, regional, and local levels, were divided into groups to systematically identify key climate risks, explore their broader implications, and outline a shared vision for Vidzeme’s agricultural future. This approach ensured a comprehensive analysis of challenges and opportunities, incorporating perspectives from various sectors, including forestry, water management, biodiversity, and human health.

Tackling Climate Challenges Specific to Vidzeme
Participants identified significant climate risks that threaten the agricultural sector, including heavy rainfall, extreme heat, flooding, rising water levels, storms, forest fires, and biological threats like pests, diseases, and invasive species. These risks underscored the interconnectedness of agriculture with other sectors such as forestry, human health, transport, water management, spatial planning, and biodiversity. The discussions expanded the concept of a “prosperous climate-resilient farming community” into a broader vision of a “climate-resilient society” with farming as its central pillar.

Key Discussions and Vision for 2035
The workshop’s discussions were deeply rooted in Vidzeme’s recent milestone—the establishment of the Gauja National Park Bioregion in 2023. As the first bioregion in Latvia and the Baltic States, it served as a guiding framework for prioritizing organic farming.

Participants articulated a clear vision for Vidzeme’s agricultural sector:

“Vidzeme is home to knowledgeable and cooperative farmers who skilfully and profitably manage fields with organic methods, providing the bioregion and beyond with high-quality, diverse organic food.”

Key principles included:

• Farmers as creators and protectors of natural landscapes and biodiversity.
• Agriculture as a respected and supported profession, bolstered by collaboration between scientists, consultants, and farmers.
• A reduction in bureaucracy, with accessible education and strong representation for the organic farming community.

Concrete Actions for Achieving the Vision
To realize this vision by 2035, participants outlined specific actions, including:

• Establishing a bio-incubator in Vidzeme focused on agriculture.
• Increasing knowledge and adoption of smart agricultural technologies.
• Expanding the biologically treated area in Vidzeme to 35% and increasing grassland habitats to 3%.
• Developing professional educational programs and training on modern technologies for farmers.
• Promoting farming as a strategic and desirable profession.
• Supporting innovation in energy solutions, such as biogas production and renewable energy installations on farms.
• Strengthening collaboration among farmers, public institutions, and researchers to address data gaps and adapt precision farming solutions to small-scale farms.

Adding Value to Regional Development
The visioning exercise contributed significantly in two critical directions: not only towards achieving the STARGATE project’s objectives but also by fostering discussions on development strategies specific to the Vidzeme Planning Region, where resilient farming is considered an essential element. Given that agriculture, including food production, holds a high-priority status in Vidzeme as a key area of smart specialization, addressing these topics is of utmost importance. By initiating this workshop, STARGATE has provided added value to the region’s development, creating a platform for interested parties to gather, explore their roles, responsibilities, and collaborative opportunities, and facilitate knowledge transfer through new partnerships.

Linking to STARGATE Objectives
The workshop outcomes directly support STARGATE’s mission to foster climate-smart agriculture and promote resilience. Participants highlighted the need for technological integration, emphasizing that precision farming techniques—such as GPS, drones, and sensors—must be adapted for Vidzeme’s numerous small-scale farms.

Anda Briede of the Vidzeme Planning Region stated: “This workshop demonstrated our commitment to sustainable agriculture, leveraging regional strengths while addressing challenges unique to Vidzeme. By collaborating across sectors, we can ensure a climate-resilient future that benefits local communities and beyond.”

A Collaborative Approach
Participants also discussed strengthening the role of the agricultural sector in regional and national policymaking. They emphasized the importance of promoting public awareness about the value of locally produced food and enhancing the agricultural sector’s strategic role in economic competitiveness.

This visioning exercise not only informed Vidzeme’s sustainable energy and climate action plan but also underscored the region’s role in contributing to the STARGATE project’s overarching goals.

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The meeting was attended by 19 people and involved parts were satisfied and interested with the outcome of this meeting as many of the discussed topics form a frame under which most of the project’s outcomes could be potentially applied in a wider range of livestock buildings.

The impact of the discussion was both in the direction of how to include these practices to legislation and how to train farmers on those practices as far as it concerns the involved parts of public authorities. Also, farmers and private sector entities were motivated on including these practices to their activities.

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The main objective of the STARGATE workshop was to identify, in cooperation with stakeholders: (1) the main elements of the future vision and discuss how to get there (roadmap), and (2) the role of different elements in CSA (technology, improved crop and livestock management practices, farming systems) in this transition.

At the beginning of the workshop, a presentation entitled “Present and Future of Irrigation Management” was presented by VUMOP, which triggered a discussion to clearly identify the structure of the vision for irrigation in the Jizera River Pilot and in the Czech Republic as a whole. The vision for ten years was based on the definition and addressing of the challenges that currently exist within the operation of irrigation systems such as: (1) poor technical conditions of some irrigation systems, (2) water losses in pipes, (3) lack of national subsidies (currently stopped), (40 electricity prices (lower at night, but at this time crops cannot be irrigated), (5) lack of water for irrigation in summer and, and (6) the need of a real-time irrigation scheduling, prioritization of field blocks/crops.

During the discussion, participants agreed that a meaningful vision for irrigation in the country should include: (i) stabilization of irrigated areas to supply the market, (ii) reconstruction of irrigation systems with the support of national subsidies, (iii) irrigation management according to local crop water requirements (using soil moisture sensors and remote sensing tools), (iv) use of daytime periods with low electricity prices, and (v) construction of irrigation water tanks or larger ponds to collect water when irrigation is not needed (winter, spring, periods of high rainfall), prevent high loses from free water by evaporation.

The goal is to make efficient use of existing irrigation water sources (i.e. mainly surface water), which involves: (i) minimising water losses (leakages from pipes), (ii) storing water when irrigation is not actual (accumulation water tanks, pools), (iii) the possibility of irrigation according to crop water requirements and the onset / forecasting of crop water stress, (iv) taking the advantage of periods of low electricity prices. 

STARGATE tools fully fulfil and support the management vision in 10 years for the Jizera River pilot.  

Field experiments within the Jizera River pilot have contributed significantly to the development of controlled irrigation methodologies. Irrigation management using soil moisture sensors and derivation of irrigation rates using soil hydrolimits were successfully tested at field scale. It has showed the approach how the irrigation doses could be applied more precisely, optimising the water timing and irrigation doses to different crops. Further, it has opened and suggested a way for a broader application of these methods at larger scale. A GIS tool based on real-time data (ground and remote sensing – Landsat and Sentinel2 satellite imagery) was proposed that could determine crop water requirements and, in combination with weather forecasts, the real-time applicable irrigation rates.

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• What type/model of agriculture/animal production will we have in the future?
• What sources of energy will we use? How will we achieve climate neutrality?
• How do we secure climate adaptation and resilience?
• What is the role of technology in that vision?

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At the same time, there was a presentation of emerging educational programs on the following topics: drought in the landscape and how to prevent it, regeneration of agricultural land, measures in agriculture aimed at biodiversity and better management of water in the landscape, measures for careful management of water in the landscape, biodiversity of wetlands and water elements in the countryside.

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It was devoted to both the main principles of strengthening the greenhouse effect and, in particular, adaptation and mitigation measures in gardens and fields. The greatest emphasis was placed on water management on the plot and soil care (e.g. mulching, not using pesticides, permanent soil cover…).

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Furthermore, the employees visited an agricultural farm that successfully utilizes water management techniques in a dry landscape and explored the production of teas in a company with a long-standing tradition of sustainable business practices with organic products.

The excursion also provided employees with an opportunity to learn about and gain inspiration from topics related to water management in agricultural land and municipal properties.

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Strategies for maintaining and enhancing soil fertility, including techniques such as green manuring, mulching, and composting, were presented. Participants also conducted practical experiments on soil properties and engaged in discussions about the film “Geoderma” exploring the relationship between land management and climate change.

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