State of Biodiversity Underpinning Food Security in Latvia

Current EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) implies member states to design their own tailored to local conditions environmental policies. Ongoing land-use change in Latvia leads to homogenization of agricultural lands and widespread loss of High Natural Value farmland. This happens in the context of the global climate change. Resulting threats to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services might remain unnoticed ultimately undermining food security in the country. Despite lack of empirical evidence careful analysis of processes that might affect agrobiodiversity suggests that it might be under threat. Thus, urgent actions need to be taken promote agrobiodiversity at multiple spatial–temporal scales. This is feasible under current CAP and should imply design and enforcement of relevant policies.