The Carpathian Agriculture in Poland in Relation to Other EU Countries, Ukraine and the Environmental Goals of the EU CAP 2023–2027

Abstract

This study discusses the issue of determining the direction and strength of changes taking place in the structure of agricultural land in the mountain and foothill areas of the Carpathians in Poland in comparison with Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine. The most important financial institutional measures dedicated to the protection of the natural environment in Polish agriculture in the Areas facing Natural and other specific Constraints (ANCs) mountain and foothill in the first year of the CAP 2023–2027 were also established. Satellite data from 2001 to 2022 were used. The analyses used the land use classification MCD12Q1 provided by NASA and were made on the basis of satellite imagery collections from the MODIS sensor placed on two satellites: TERRA and AQUA. In EU countries, a decreasing trend in agricultural areas has been observed in areas below 350 m above sea level. In areas above 350 m, this trend weakened or even turned into an upward trend. Only in Ukraine was a different trend observed. It was found that in Poland, the degree of involvement of farmers from mountain and foothill areas in implementing financial institutional measures dedicated to protecting the natural environment during the study period was not satisfactory.