Production Of Organic Fruits And Vegetables In Poland And In Selected Countries Of The European Union

The aim of the article is to present changes in the production of organic fruits and vegetables in Poland and selected European Union countries between 2017 and 2024, as well as to characterize organic farms receiving support under the CAP 2023-2027 framework. The study was undertaken due to the growing importance of organic production in achieving the environmental and climate objectives of the European Union, as well as the need to identify development directions for organic horticultural production in Poland. The research was based on secondary data concerning the production of organic fruits and vegetables in Poland (IJHARS) and the European Union (Eurostat), as well as data on farms receiving support under the CAP 2023-2027 scheme (ARiMR). The analysis indicates that Poland holds a significant position in the production of organic fruits and vegetables within the European Union. Between 2017 and 2024, organic horticultural production in Poland showed an overall upward trend, although considerable year-to-year fluctuations were observed. The production structure was characterized by a clear spatial concentration of vegetable cultivation in the northern part of the country, while fruit production was concentrated in the main fruit-growing regions of Poland, particularly in the Mazowieckie and Lubelskie voivodeships. The results also indicate the growing importance of vegetable farms among beneficiaries of organic farming support, as well as the increasing regional specialization of organic production. Farms specializing in vegetable production and operating on a relatively large scale constituted the dominant group among supported holdings.