ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Changes in Grassland and Their Impact
on Milk Production in Poland in the Context
of Environmental Protection
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1
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Land Management and Agriculture,
Department of Agrotechnology, Agricultural Production Management and Agribusiness, Olsztyn, Poland
2
Warsaw University of Life Science-SGGW, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Department of Logistics, Warsaw, Poland
3
West Pomerania University in Szczecin
4
Pennsylvania State University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics,
Sociology, and Education, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Submission date: 2019-04-25
Final revision date: 2019-06-08
Acceptance date: 2019-06-14
Online publication date: 2020-01-17
Publication date: 2020-02-13
Corresponding author
Piotr Bórawski
Uniwersity of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, 10-957 Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(2):1567-1578
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ABSTRACT
The objective of our paper was to present changes in grassland in Poland and their impact on
milk production in Polish agriculture. This topic is very important because Poland increased its milk
production after integration into the European Union. At the same time, the area of grassland decreased.
This caused the appearance of some environmental problems. More land became devoted to other usage
such as roads and business. During 2007-2017 the area of permanent meadows in Poland (-3,8%), and
pastures (-4,8%) decreased. In 2005-2017, although cow numbers decreased 25,8%, milk production
increased 11,83% and milk yield per cow increased 50,2%. The changes in milk production caused
concentration of this production mainly in three woivodeships in Poland: Podlaskie, Mazowieckie and
Wielkopolskie. The situation in the milk market was created by many factors, among which elimination
of the quota system is very important. This led to more milk production but allowed farmers to increase
exploitation of grasslands.