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On May 14, 2025, the second Bio-region Forum took place in Cēsis, gathering more than 160 participants from the Vidzeme region — representatives from municipalities, non-governmental organizations, communities, caterers, and food producers.

The chosen theme for the forum was “Local Economy, Circularity, and Organic Food,” highlighting the need for collaboration and joint action for the development of the Gauja National Park bio-region, sustainable resource management, and the promotion of healthy food consumption.

As part of the forum, a session titled “Thoughtful Resource Use in Daily Life and Business” was held, focusing on implementing circular economy principles in everyday life and entrepreneurship. This session was attended by more than 50 participants, including representatives from the municipalities of Cēsis, Sigulda, Valmiera, Limbaži, and Ādaži, as well as organizations, educational and research institutions, entrepreneurs, and local residents.

Kristīne Āboliņa, an expert from the Cēsis Municipality’s Life Project “Waste to Resources IP”, provided insights into the transition process from resource consumption to a circular approach, presenting the Circular Economy Roadmap for Municipalities and Businesses developed within the Life project.

In addition, two local entrepreneurs shared their practical examples:

• Aleksandrs Safonovs from “BioLana” spoke about the production of organic fertilizer made from sheep’s wool — a good example of how waste can be transformed into raw materials;

• Aigars Ruņģis from “Valmiermuižas alus” emphasized that circularity begins with a shift in mindset — both in the efficient use of resources and in the introduction of reusable packaging.

  

During the session, several digital platforms promoting the circular economy were also presented — lietovelreiz.lv and sinergia.lv — along with the New Construction School’s vision for circular construction education and the creation of a sustainable construction community.

At the end of the session, a workshop was held where participants generated ideas on how to practically implement circular principles and what should be included in the Cēsis Municipality’s Circular Economy Action Plan. The aim of the workshop was to gather the perspectives of four different stakeholder groups — individuals, communities and NGOs, entrepreneurs, and municipal employees — on the most important and threatened resources, as well as to identify possible solutions for their preservation and the promotion of circular practices.

In the participants’ vote, the most important resources identified were: water resources, landscape, and public education as a resource. These were followed by climate, population, jobs and local businesses (all receiving an equal number of points), as well as solar, wind, and water as energy sources, public health, and financial resources.

Among the proposed priority actions, the most popular solutions included:

• supporting local entrepreneurs in municipal procurement;

• removal of small hydropower plants;

• decentralized energy supply and reduction of consumption;

• introduction of a glass jar deposit system;

• integration of circular economy and sustainability topics into school curricula — both in theory and in practical daily school activities;

• tax incentives for businesses demonstrating best practices within the given year;

• and the preservation and development of small local schools.

The proposed ideas will be incorporated into the upcoming Cēsis Municipality Circular Economy Action Plan. Some of the suggested solutions reflect public dissatisfaction with current practices, and in these cases, a compromise must be found to ensure that the solutions meet both community needs and the goals of circular economy and sustainability.

Photo author: Andris Mačāns, KLV Creative Agency