Organic Farming Promoted in Poor Regions of Poland

Poland and the EU promote organic farming in poor regions as an alternative to regular farming practices

Poland is one of the biggest agricultural producers in Europe. It is a vital part of the whole system of import of goods into many EU member states and has its place on the world market.

This is so because more than 50% of Poland`s land is rural with 33% of the total population living in rural areas. A serious percentage compared to some other EU member states. For the current program period (2014-2020) Poland must receive a total of more than 20 billion Euros in the agricultural sector. It focuses on priorities such as competitiveness and productivity, sustainable management and climate change initiatives, protection and sustainable use of natural resources, etc. Due to the EU funding, more and more people join the farmers` industry and modernize their farms to meet the requirements and challenges of the sustainable agriculture the Union envisages.

Ancient Crops of Cereals Give Birth to a New Direction of Organic Farming in Poland

One of the best examples from Poland comes from Sanok, a small town in Southeast Poland. It is mainly an industrial city with manufacturers of different rubber elements, automotive elements, a well-developed construction industry, etc.

In exactly such a region, capped as Less Favoured Area, a project is being implemented by the company Rolapis PL. The main idea is to start organic production of ancient crops of emmer wheat, spelt and einkorn wheat. The sustainable manner in which the production is being carried out is one of the main reasons it was financed. Instead of conventional agricultural intensive methods, the beneficiary uses the organic ones. The field of conventional production of such cereals is quite competitive and Mr. Rolnik, the beneficiary, decided to enter a different market.

Despite the fact that the project is supposed to finish in 2022, there are some results visible now. The farmland stretches over 80ha and has more than 70 tons of output. 70% of this production is sold. The rest 30% is used for bread-baking classes that the farm organizes on-site thus promoting healthy and sustainable consumption.

The environmental advantages of this project are numerous and not restricted only to the health of people and the creation of healthy eating habits. Due to its organic nature, the farm doesn`t use any artificial fertilizers that may pollute the soil and the underground waters.

The project is not only economically and environmentally sustainable but also contributes to raising social awareness. It shows other small farmers that intensive farming is not the only way to develop a business and there are a lot of possibilities and advantages in finding small unexplored areas in the agricultural industry of Poland.