Propositions1. Not every field has an equal right to be cultivated.(this thesis) 2. Cooperation and understanding of desired outcomes between actors form the basis for sustainability. (this thesis) 3. The impact of the EU Green Deal may diverge amongst Member States, despite its common objectives. 4. In research experiencing is as important as reporting. 5. Knowing how to search and whom to ask is a skill in itself. 6. Working with stakeholders problems and solutions in science is like combining flavours, structures, and textures in baking.Propositions belonging to the thesis, entitledCan farmers meet all the societal demands with the available natural resources?14 Chapter 1This, in turn, complicates the achievement of socio-economic targets. Following the EU's abolition of the milk quota in 2015, Irish farmers had the opportunity to increase their production without market constrains for the first time over 30 years. In Latvia, the Bioeconomy Strategy has set targets to 1) increase added value from traditional bioeconomy sectors, namely agriculture and forestry, from EUR 2.33 billion in 2016 to EUR 3.8 billion in 2030; 2) to increase the value of exported goods from EUR 4.26 billion in 2016 to at least EUR 9 billion in 2030; and 3) to ensure that employment is provided for 128,000 inhabitants (LIBRA2030, 2017).
MEETING MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES: EXISTING RESEARCHAssessments of ecosystem services provided by land resources are very complex, as the evaluation of the land-based ecosystem services provided depends on the scientific field represented by the researcher, the researcher's understanding of the definitions and the available data (Bouma, 2014;Calzolari et al., 2016;Haygarth and Ritz, 2009). On the other hand, the demand for land-based ecosystem services is created by society, state policy planning documents and international agreements. Assessment of land-based ecosystem services requires the involvement of a diverse team of scientists, as soil resources are heterogeneous, and yields within a single farm can differ greatly due to different on-site variables, micro-topography and soil heterogeneity. The FLM approach was developed to provide a framework for the assessment of the land-based ecosystem services provided by farmland and the demand for those resources. The framework was first applied to land management in Ireland with the aim to meet clearly defined objectives of agricultural growth and the environment (