On 25–26 March 2026, partners of the ChemClimCircle‑2 project gathered in Copenhagen for two days of discussions, knowledge exchange, and hands-on work, bringing together municipalities and experts from all countries participating in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

During the meeting, work continued on solutions to make public procurement a driving force for climate‑neutral, circular, and chemically safe (CCC) solutions. Within the project, pilot procurements will be carried out by applying criteria in these three areas and assessing their environmental impact.

Across the partnership, procurements are planned in various sectors – from construction and information and communication technologies (ICT) to textiles, cleaning, and catering services.

Vidzeme Planning Region is working on a pilot procurement case of catering service for the Vidzeme Innovation Week conference. The annual event brings together around 150 participants. By procuring sustainable catering services, organization continues the groundwork laid in its projects related to establishing sustainable food systems, as well as activities aligned with the Bioregion initiative.

To be noted, the upcoming reform of the public procurement system in Latvia means removing mandatory green public procurement criteria, including for food and catering procurement. Instead, sustainability criteria would become voluntary, and the pilot cases of the CCC-2 project can set a point of reference for further procurements.

Partners also received a first insight into the “CCC Navigator” – a practical online tool that will help public authorities integrate climate, circular economy, and chemical safety criteria into procurement. The platform is currently under development and will become one of the project’s final outputs.

The project partners – experts in various sustainability fields – are also developing training activities for procurement specialists to ensure wider application of the CCC approach. These will include both practical guidance and real-life examples from pilot projects.

The next steps in the project include preparing environmental impact assessments of the  upcoming procurement, developing tender evaluation criteria and conducting market pre-study.

The main emphases of the We Make Transition! project are cooperation, knowledge exchange, and practical solutions. Although the project concluded on 31 December 2025, the initiatives started within its framework – the Bioregion development, organic food promotion, and strengthening civic participation – remain essential development tasks for Vidzeme.

More about the project: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/we-make-transition/

The development of the Gauja National Park Bioregion, the promotion of organic food consumption in educational institutions, and educational activities on organic food for primary school pupils – these achievements from Vidzeme were presented on 26–27 November at the final event of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme project We Make Transition! in Tampere, Finland.

The experience was shared by Lienīte Priedāja-Klepere, Project Manager at the Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR), together with Change Agents Anda Briede and Lāsma Ozola.

Vidzeme’s initiatives, which emerged from the Transition Arena co-creation workshops, were recognised as among the most impactful results of the project and inspired partners across the Baltic Sea Region.

WMT! impact forum

On the first day of the event, the Impact Forum focused on evaluating the impact of the public participation method Transition Arena, implemented in 12 cities and regions in Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Finland, and Germany.

This co-creation approach brings together representatives of municipalities, communities, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders on a single platform to jointly envision a sustainable future. The method was applied to address a wide range of challenges – from promoting organic food and strengthening community engagement to advancing the circular economy and tackling biodiversity issues.

Representatives from Vidzeme emphasised that the co-creation process and the initiatives developed through it provided substantial support for Bioregion development and the promotion of organic food consumption in the region. The bottom-up approach of the Transition Arena in Vidzeme proved particularly effective, delivering some of the most influential outcomes of the project.

Impact in Vidzeme

Activities implemented within the project in Vidzeme demonstrate how a systemic approach can lead to tangible change. Presentations were delivered by Lienīte Priedāja-Klepere, Project Manager at VPR, Anda Briede, Change Agent from the Cēsis District Rural Partnership, and Lāsma Ozola, Change Agent and Head of the Zero-Waste Community of Cēsis Municipality.

They introduced the international audience to the key achievements:

• The Cēsis Municipality pupils’ competition “My Bio Product Recipe for School Lunch” encouraged reflection on the inclusion of organic products in school menus and engaged young people in discussions on healthy and sustainable diets;

• A matchmaking event at the second Bioregion Forum facilitated direct cooperation between local organic producers and catering service providers, helping to establish short supply chains;

• The educational event “Discover the Bioregion!” for primary school pupils, including farm visits and an organic food workshop, fostered understanding of the value of local and organic products from an early age;

• The development of Vidzeme’s Sustainable Food Strategy 2025–2035 provides a long-term vision and concrete directions for the development of the regional food system;

• The creation of a joint Green Public Procurement (GPP) model for the public catering sector makes it easier for municipalities and institutions to include organic products in public tenders;

• The progress of Līgatne New Leaders Secondary School towards becoming the first organically certified school in Latvia demonstrates that change in educational institutions is achievable.

Examples from Finland

At the Impact Forum, an inspirational keynote speech was delivered by circular economy expert and EU Climate Pact Ambassador Timo Huhtamäki. He emphasised that a shift in societal thinking and values is crucial for the development of a circular economy – it is not enough to reuse, recycle, and regenerate; attitudes towards consumption and resource use must change as a whole.

On the second day, participants visited the family-owned herbal farm Frantsila in Hämeenkyrö Municipality. With more than 40 years of experience in cultivating medicinal plants and producing health and beauty products, the hosts demonstrated how organic farming can be a successful business model. The farm also operates a vegetarian restaurant using organic ingredients and offers a variety of well-being services.

Family representatives shared their guiding philosophy: the goal is to promote well-being and happiness in society by making the world a better place, while staying true to their principles and showing courage in decision-making. This philosophy aligns closely with the values of the We Make Transition! project and illustrates that a sustainable lifestyle can be both inspiring and practically achievable.

About the project We Make Transition!

The project “Towards sustainable and resilient societies through empowered civil society and collaborative innovation” (We Make Transition!) is part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021–2027. It brings together partners from six countries with the shared goal of fostering sustainable change at the local level through the innovative public participation method Transition Arena. The project will conclude on 31 December 2025, but the initiatives developed within it will continue to evolve and have an impact in the future.

Photos by Tuomas Jaakkola, VPR

From 7–8 October, representatives of the Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR) and Cēsis Municipality took part in a study visit to Bremen, Germany, to learn from good practice examples in the field of sustainable school catering.

Since 2015, Bremen has been developing the BioStadt Bremen (“Organic City of Bremen”) concept, which aims to increase the share of organically produced food, particularly in educational institutions. The experience gained during the visit is also valuable for the Bioregion initiative supported by the VPR, which promotes the development of a sustainable food system in the region.

During the visit, participants, together with the partners from Norway and Finland involved in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “We Make Transition!”, visited the Institute for Labour and Economy (Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft, IAW) at the University of Bremen, where they learned about the activities of BioStadt Bremen and Forum Küche (“Kitchen Forum”). They gained insight into how Bremen promotes the use of organic food in schools and across the city as a whole.

Bremen is implementing the Action Plan 2025 – Healthy Nutrition in Municipal Catering in the City of Bremen (Aktionsplan 2025 – Gesunde Ernährung in der Gemeinschaftsverpflegung der Stadtgemeinde Bremen), which sets out a gradual transition to 100% organic products in public catering. Non-governmental organisations play a key role in implementing this plan and promoting healthy eating. One example is Forum Küche, the competence centre for sustainable communal catering hosted by the Bremen Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule Bremen, VHS Bremen). The centre trains kitchen staff from schools and kindergartens and organises workshops on menu planning and healthy eating principles to support positive change.

The exchange of experience was complemented by a presentation from VPR project manager Lienīte Priedāja-Klepere, who introduced initiatives carried out in Vidzeme to develop the Bioregion and promote organic food, especially in schools and through student education. Meanwhile, Liene Klišāne, organiser of “Mūsu Bio tirgus” (“Our Organic Market”) in Sigulda, shared insights into the local farmers’ market experience in Vidzeme, which helps improve access to organic food.

Participants also visited two Bremen schools – Andernacher Extended Day School and Kurt-Schumacher-Allee Secondary School. There they met with chefs and kitchen managers, learning about menu planning, procurement, and collaboration with suppliers. Each school’s experience differs, with the share of organic food in menus reaching up to 90%, and products sourced both directly from local farmers and through contracts with supermarket chains. In Germany, the focus is on the nutritional value, quality, and health benefits of organic products. School menus are dominated by vegetarian dishes and plant-based proteins, while meat is offered only once or twice a week, and fish more frequently.

Chefs acknowledged that the transition to organic products requires redesigning menus, as the previous approach no longer fits. The involvement of pupils and parents is also essential to explain the benefits of organic food and build understanding of healthy eating. In one school, lunches are prepared by a social enterprise, and twice a week, older pupils assist in the kitchen, combining cooking with learning about food origins and sustainability.

To gain insight into the entire food supply chain, VPR and Bioregion representatives also visited an organic wholesale base, where all the products are organic certified – both local and imported. During the summer season, 50–60% of goods are of regional origin, and about 10% of turnover comes from cooperation with schools and kindergartens. Freshly cut potatoes, mostly supplied to educational institutions, are among the most in-demand products.

The visit concluded at Kaemena Organic Farm, located in a protected natural area and run by several generations of the same family. The farm, home to more than 70 cows, produces organic milk, yogurt, and ice cream, with special attention on animal welfare. The products are supplied to both shops and schools.

Author of the photographs used in the publication: Charlotte Licht / University of Bremen.

From September 29th to October 1st the Vidzeme Planning Region, as part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme project “We Make Transition!”, organized an educational event titled “Discover the Bioregion!”. Three primary school classes from three Bioregion municipalities – Valmiera, Cēsis, and Sigulda – participated in the event together with their teachers and parents. The goal of the educational programme was to deepen pupils’ understanding of the Bioregion, established within the Gauja National Park, and to promote awareness of the importance of healthy, local and organically grown food.

The programme involved pupils from Valmiera Viesturs Secondary School (class 2c), the Young Leaders Secondary School (class 3), and Laurenči Primary School (class 5b). The children visited two organic farms in the Valmiera municipality – “Ozolzīles” and “Varšavas” – and took part in an organic food masterclass led by chefs from Valmiermuiža Beer Kitchen, whose daily work is based on the use of local, seasonal, and mostly organic ingredients.

At the organic family farm “Ozolzīles”, pupils were welcomed by the hostess Anete Ozola, who introduced them to the process of lyophilization also known as freeze-drying. The children tasted freeze-dried crisps made from garden-grown fruits and locally cultivated vegetables, that had kept their natural taste and nutritional value. They also sampled quince and rhubarb drinks and took a guided tour of the production facilities.

At the farm “Varšavas”, pupils were greeted by the owners Sniedze and Jānis Dzirkaļi, who showed them fields of organically grown vegetables, legumes, and berries, as well as the farm’s ducks and chickens. The farmers emphasized that eating organic food means caring for both health and nature. They explained that to grow healthy vegetables and berries, all that is needed is water, compost, and care. The children enthusiastically pulled carrots from the ground, picked and tasted beans, fed ducks, and held chicks in their hands, gaining direct experience of rural life and organic farming. The farmers also explained organic farming labels and how to recognize organic products in shops and markets.

The programme concluded in Valmiermuiža, where representatives of the brewery introduced pupils to the production of organic quince soda and kvass, made in cooperation with Vidzeme farmers and Latvian malt masters. Afterwards, in the Valmiermuiža Beer Kitchen, pupils took part in a hands-on cooking workshop using products from the organic farms “Varšavas”, “Ozolzīles”, and other local organic producers. They also discovered the many ways kvass can be used. Together with the chefs, they prepared burgers, kvass ice cream, kvass sauce, whipped butter, and mayonnaise made from organic eggs.

The educational programme “Discover the Bioregion!” gave pupils a practical opportunity to learn about the workings of organic farms and to understand the importance of choosing local and organic food. It also helped them gain a deeper understanding of the role of the Bioregion and how the use of local products contributes to a sustainable lifestyle.

On May 14, the second Bioregion Forum was held in the town of Cēsis, bringing together more than 160 participants from across the Vidzeme region in Latvia. The event united representatives of municipalities, NGOs, community initiatives, food producers, and public caterers around the shared goal of building a sustainable, inclusive, and locally rooted bioregion.

This year’s theme – “Local Economy, Circularity, and Organic Food” – highlighted the importance of cooperation and coordinated action in developing the Gauja National Park Bioregion, Latvia’s first official bioregion, established in 2023.

Bioregions – Local Action for Sustainable Transformation

A bioregion is a place-based approach to development that aligns economic activity with ecological integrity and social well-being. It encourages collaboration between public authorities, civil society, and entrepreneurs to support climate-friendly, resource-efficient, and locally anchored systems.

Since its establishment, the Gauja National Park Bioregion has made significant progress – for example, by improving green public procurement practices and engaging citizens in shaping the transition.

From Vision to Practice: Mainstreaming Organic Food

A key topic at the forum was the role of organic food in public catering, especially in schools and preschools. Participants emphasized that organic food should not be a luxury – it should be a regular part of everyday meals that educate and inspire new generations.

This ambition is one outcome of Transition Arena co-creation workshops held within the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “We Make Transition!”, which supports the Bioregion’s work by empowering communities to co-design practical pathways to sustainability. The project also supported the forum’s final session: a matchmaking event between producers and caterers.

Short food supply chains and producer cooperation were highlighted as key drivers of resilience. Experiences shared during the forum showed that collaboration unlocks new markets and enables small producers to scale up impact, share resources, and build strong community-based networks.

Circular Economy: Making Change Tangible

Another major focus of the forum was implementing circular economy principles in local businesses, infrastructure, and everyday life. Participants explored issues of resource use, waste reduction, and the mindset shifts required to move toward circular systems.

Entrepreneurs from the region shared inspiring examples – from producing organic fertiliser out of sheep wool to rethinking packaging in the beverage industry. These stories reinforced the idea that sustainability and economic viability go hand in hand.

Connecting Producers and Caterers

To support practical implementation, the forum concluded with matchmaking (“speed-dating”) sessions between organic food producers and public caterers – an opportunity for direct dialogue and the start of new supply partnerships.

These sessions deepened mutual understanding of needs and capacities, showing that building a sustainable food system begins with trust and communication.

Shared Responsibility for a Transition

The forum built on the momentum created in 2023, when 13 institutional partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Gauja National Park Bioregion. The document affirms a collective commitment to creating a region that is nature-friendly, climate-smart, socially inclusive, and economically resilient.

The 2025 Bioregion Forum confirmed that real change happens when local actors come together – and that the transition to sustainability is a shared journey, rooted in cooperation and guided by shared values.

Organised and supported by:

The municipalities of Cēsis, Sigulda, and Valmiera; Vidzeme Planning Region; rural partnerships and local NGOs; and the Interreg Baltic Sea Region projects “We Make Transition!”, “KISMET”, “From Waste to Resources”, and “Towards a Green Region”.

The photographs are part of the inter-territorial cooperation project No. 23-00-A019.332-000007, “Towards a Green Region”, and are the work of Andris Mačāns (“KLV Creative Agency”).

At the end of November 2024, students from several schools in the Cēsis region visited the Chefs’ House in Līgatne to celebrate the closure of the competition “What Will We Bring to the Table for School Lunch?”, jointly organized by the Vidzeme Planning Region and the municipality of Cēsis. In this activity, the students were asked to think about the kind of food they would like to eat at school and to prepare it themselves, using local, organically grown products as much as possible.

This competition aligns with the establishment of a Bioregion in the Gauja National Park in autumn 2023, where the Vidzeme Planning Region is proud to be one of the 13 institutional partners advocating for increased consumption of organic products. Educational institutions, like schools, play a vital role in this initiative by serving as platforms to promote local produce, benefiting both students’ health and local farmers’ economies.

In preparation for the competition, students documented their cooking experiences through photos and videos, presenting a variety of creative dishes, including beetroot soup, burgers, tacos, and even sturgeon fishcakes. Teachers noted the enthusiasm of their students during cooking classes, where they often engage in meal preparation.

At the Chefs’ House, students enjoyed a delicious meal inspired by their competition recipes, which included a gourmet burger and seasonal vegetables, along with delightful desserts.

Chef Ēriks Dreibants of the Chefs’ House, who is passionate about sustainability and responsible eating, emphasized the importance of introducing children to healthy meal options.