Abstract

Limiting agricultural production with the use of industrial methods is in society's best interest. Industrial farms are places where the natural degradation of soil, rural landscapes, and ground waters takes place. They are also places where farm animals are mistreated and suffer. The crops, being high are, at the same time, of low quality, posing threat to people's and animals' health. The only agricultural managing system which complies with the idea of eco-development is ecological farming, whose initiators were: Dezydery Chłapowski at the beginning of the 9th century, officer, Napoleon's aide-de-camp as well as Rudolf Steiner from Austria, philosopher, theologian, and occultist at the beginning of the 20th century. Neither of them had agricultural education, both were active in the area now belonging to Poland (in Turew in Wielkopolska district and in Kobierzyce near Wroclaw respectively). Ecological farming based on family farms is a combination of ethical, ecological, and economic approaches. Not only does it provide the highest quality food and feeding stuff but it also helps protect the environment, fertilizes the soil, caters to good growth conditions of cultivated plants and animals, provides new jobs, and improves living conditions in rural areas.

The ecological farm must make sure: there is a balance between plant and animal production, take care of the landscape, prevent and not only fight pests. Every ecological farmer's duty is a continuous struggle to increase the fertility of the soil. He should not misunderstand the aim or the methods of fertilizing so that he can deliver high-quality food which undergoes the system of control.

There are about 2 000 certified ecological farms in Poland with an average area of 15 hectares, the total acreage being 50 000 ha. There are more than 20 ecological products processing plants (mills, bakeries, dairy plants, fruit, vegetables, and meat processing plants). There are 8 agricultural high schools where the rules of ecological farming are taught. Some schools run their own ecological farms and an experimental ecological farm is being prepared by the Warsaw University of Agriculture (SGGW). There are also 3 associations of ecological farmers and gardeners as well as 6 organizations that control and issue certificates to farms and processing plants. In the Ministry of Agriculture, there is the Department of Ecological Agriculture as well as the Ecological Farming Board.

Ecological farms are used in medical and social therapy, play an important role in ecological education, and increasing people's awareness. It should be hoped that ecological farming, bringing much good and being based on the idea of sustainable development, will eventually become part of far-reaching plans concerning rural and agricultural development in Poland.