The activity that permeates almost all LRF projects and activities is the promotion of the countryside as a great place to realize people potential. Inspiring stories of experiences are actively shared, encouraging local communities to be proud of their initiatives.

LRF members are not only the highest decision-making body of the organization but also the operational and development force of LRF. At the time of founding LRF in 2004, it united some NGOs, but it longterm work to strengthen rural development has resulted that in 2020 more than 80 associations and foundations in the whole territory of Latvia gather as members and associates. At the same time, LRF regularly works with members of members (> 1500) and other partners, by further strengthening the established platform for effective outreach to the rural population, facilitating the exchange of experiences, initiating and stimulating cooperation, stimulating new initiatives, engaging in policymaking, as well as providing ongoing support and capacity building.

LRF carries out ongoing advocacy work at the national and European level on LEADER / CLLD, rural development and civil society issues. LRF is involved in Latvian and EU policy-making and decision-making, including more than ten monitoring committees and working groups. LRF regularly provides opinions and position papers, as well as conducts research and analytical work. At the European level, LRF represents Latvia’s interests by working in the European LEADER network for rural development, as well as by actively participating in the initiative of the European Rural Parliament. The involvement of rural communities is a very important part of the advocacy work, as well as informing about the opportunities for participation, gathering opinion electronically, face-to-face and in other methods to ensure the reliability and involvement of interested stakeholders in actual advocacy work.

LRF advocates the involvement of high-quality young people in decision-making processes, so the views of young people are taken into account not only when planning measures to promote rural development nationally, but also in the European-level participation platform. In 2017, LRF hosted the first European Rural Youth Parliament in Latvia, which is already becoming a resource-rich cooperation network. To promote the involvement of young people in the European Rural Parliament (ERP) movement, in 2019 the Youth Parliament in Spain took place just before the ERP event. The vision of young rural development professionals was summarized in a declaration and disseminated both to European rural development platforms and to the European Parliament. Members of the European Rural Youth Parliament not only call for action but are themselves actively involved in local community activities.

The Great Projects are local initiative projects implemented in the territory of the LAG with the support of the LEADER EAFRD or EMFF fund and which are the pride of the territory and a confirmation of the activity of its’ people. It is an annual competition aimed at promoting unique ideas that are important to the territories and inhabitants of the regions, implemented with the LEADER approach. The main motive is pride in what has been done, informing the public about what people have done, encouraging others to take active action as well.

Community Games is a national event for rural communities and rural development enthusiasts with the aim to promote the importance of community initiatives in Latvia and to promote cooperation between communities, partnerships, NGOs, public administration, entrepreneurs, showing the essence of the community idea in a non-traditional way. The authors of the idea of the event are Daugavpils District Rural Partnership, and the 1st Latvian Community Games took place on August 19, 2006, in Višķi Parish. Initially, the Rural Community Games were annual, but since 2014 have been held every two years.

Rural Community Week is a set of at activities that takes place in all regions of Latvia every autumn since 2013 to strengthen Latvian rural community development initiatives and address issues relevant to communities. Rural Community Week brings together rural community leaders and activists and experts, as well as promotes experience. exchanges and work with the issues identified in the Resolution of Latvian Rural Community Parliament. Community Week had included issues on community sustainability, cooperation between rural communities, democracy, rural tourism, the sharing economy etc.

Since its establishment, LRF has been working to identify and to promote sustainable local products, foster multi-stakeholder collaboration, support and other activities, promoting the sustainability, quality, access to market and creation of support systems at local, regional and national levels. LRF has developed regional local product identity product baskets, development strategies for the local product support system, interactive and paper maps of local home producers and craftsmen, organized international conferences, discussions, research on development potential in specific areas and other activities

Since its establishment, LLF has been working with village and community initiatives to promote development by stimulating village development planning, incl. identification of resources and stakeholders, development and implementation of action plans, capacity building and other activities. LLF promotes the development of smart villages by conducting a training program, practical support and capacity activities in rural areas, as well as national policy-making, promoting the inclusion of village planning and smart villages in policy documents and financial support and research on smart villages.

The LRF implements development cooperation activities with stakeholders in rural development in the beneficiary countries – the Western Balkans, the EU Eastern Partnership and Central Asia. The longest-running cooperation of the LRF is with Moldova, where a cooperation agreement was signed in 2014, and the activities are implemented together with the active participation of local action groups (LAGs), entrepreneurs and municipalities, as well as regional development ministries of both countries. LRF is a member of the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (#LAPAS) and the European Partnership for Rural Development (#PREPARE).