An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Legal Instruments for the Protection of Agricultural Land in Poland

Legal protection of agricultural land is a fundamental element of the State's strategy for nature conservation, food security, and sustainable spatial planning. This article aimed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of legal instruments in protecting agricultural land in Poland. The analysis primarily focused on the provisions of the Act of 3 February 1995 regarding the protection of agricultural and forest land, the relevant planning regulations, and administrative decisions. The evaluation relied on Statistics Poland data for 2003-2024 concerning the area of agricultural land taken out of agricultural production and voivodeships experiencing high development pressure. The analysis revealed that, although Poland has an extensive legal framework for protecting agricultural land, its effectiveness is limited by the liberalization of procedures, the low spatial coverage of zoning plans, and the prioritization of economic goals over environmental objectives. The study's results confirmed that agricultural land conversion to non-agricultural uses should be closely monitored, and that spatial planning policies should be better aligned with soil protection goals.