The Birch Programme is a story of science, collaboration and the ability to look beyond today. It was launched in 1996 on the initiative of Latvijas Finieris, bringing together representatives from forest science, forestry and the wood-processing industry. Its aim was to promote responsible land management, the cultivation of high-quality birch and the long-term availability of this valuable resource.

“Special thanks go to Juris Biķis, former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Latvijas Finieris, who initiated this idea, bringing together different perspectives and launching the programme so that landowners would have both the opportunity and the motivation to plant and grow birch. For us, it was also part of a long-term business vision – the company’s development depends on the long-term availability of resources. Today, we can see that the programme continues to grow and evolve,”

emphasised Jānis Ciems, Chairman of the Executive Board of Latvijas Finieris, at the event.

Over three decades, the programme has evolved from birch breeding, landowner engagement and the cultivation of high-quality planting stock into broad cooperation encompassing scientific research, forestry practices, wood processing and the increasingly comprehensive use of the entire birch resource.

Today, the results of this work can be seen across Latvia’s forests. Birch stands cover approximately 882,000 hectares, and their area has doubled over the past 30 years. Long-term breeding trials also demonstrate that high-quality planting stock combined with targeted forest management can produce more productive and valuable stands.

Āris Jansons, Director of the Forest Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasised that the strength of the sector lies in its ability to work together – to recognise shared goals and enable different groups within the sector to cooperate even when their interests do not always align. The Birch Programme demonstrates how long-term cooperation between science, plant nurseries, forest managers and industry can help establish birch as a purposefully cultivated tree species of significant value to Latvia’s economy.

The programme’s partners and contributors have been an indispensable part of its development throughout these 30 years. The Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, Latvijas Finieris, Latvia’s State Forests, Andrupene Nursery, Forest Research Station, the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Forest Service have all contributed their knowledge, expertise and work to the programme. It is this long-term cooperation between science, education, public institutions, forest managers and industry that has enabled the Birch Programme to grow, develop and achieve the results we see in Latvia’s forests today.

During the anniversary event, a series of presentations highlighted the achievements of the Birch Programme over the past 30 years, the results of cooperation between science and industry, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. Continuing the programme’s tradition and symbolically looking towards the next 30 years, participants planted new trees on the grounds of “Zābaki”, where they will welcome visitors for years to come.

Thirty years ago, the founders of the Birch Programme considered what kind of birch resource Latvia would need in the future. Today, our task is to look even further ahead – because the forest of the future begins with the decisions we make today.

We are building a well-managed, independent and prosperous Latvia!

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