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Soil pollution

In order to guarantee stable and high agricultural yields, intensive production methods and substantial amounts of organic and mineral fertilisers, pesticides and other agricultural substances are used. If these methods are not correctly applied from an agro-ecological point of view, soil degradation occurs.

Cause-oriented measures:

Elaboration and implementation of a scientifically substantiated system of forecasts and recommendations for use of fertilisers for cultivated plants and integrated crop protection:

Necessary instruments:

• comprehensive study programme to determine the agro-chemical and ecological status of soils;
• development of a system for forecasting the dosage and application methods of environmentally-friendly fertilisers and crop protection preparations (‘Soil-Crop’ system);
• development and implementation of balanced crop nutrition models;
• establishment of system of standards and controls for the application of fertilisers and crop protection preparations; development of soil standards;
• improvement and development of the system of crop selection and crop farming;
• implementation of HELCOM requirements;
• elaboration and implementation of the national programme ‘On the Protection of the Baltic Sea Environment;
• Law ‘On the Sustainable Use and Protection of Land Resources’; standards and norms (to be elaborated);
• State funding and foreign investment for the improvement of the present scientific and technical knowledge base;
• integration of professional agricultural and environmental education into all facets of education, including the education of farmers.

Optimisation of the circulation system of fertilisers and agricultural chemicals:

• development and implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural methods;
• substitution of outdated technologies and equipment with modern technologies and equipment corresponding to environmental requirements;
• reconstruction of outdated fertiliser and agricultural chemical storage facilities and premises, and the construction of new buildings;
• optimisation of the number of cattle, in order to set a limit per unit of arable land.

Instruments for implementation of these measures:

• regulations for the import, sale, transportation, storage, use and final disposal of fertilisers and agricultural chemicals;
• adherence to HELCOM recommendations;
• development and implementation of a national programme for rural development and a national quality assurance programme;
• law ‘On Plant Protection’;
• law ‘On Food’;
• standards, certificates and norms;
• tax incentives;
• penalties, controls and accounting;
• information and education.

Effect-oriented measures:

Minimisation of agricultural pollution, preventing its discharge or emission into watercourses (including the Baltic Sea), air and food:

• a system of activities to increase the productivity of soil and its buffer capacity;
• introduction of soil liming and a system of environmentally friendly melioration activities;
• remediation and recultivation of soils heavily polluted with agricultural chemical residues;
• design and installation of riparian protection belts along rivers and water basins;
• provision of equipment with low pollution emissions to enterprises using intensive agricultural practices;
• final disposal of stockpiled unused or outdated agricultural chemicals.

Instruments:

• ratification of the 1992 Helsinki Convention ‘On the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes’;
• adherence to HELCOM recommendations;
• law ‘On Protection Belts’;
• law ‘On Food’;
• law ‘On Melioration’;
• enforcement, accounting, penalties;
• information and education.

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Last updated: November 8, 1996. The information prepared by Valts Vilnitis: fuxis@varam.gov.lv