Rural areas and related agricultural activities
should be an important element in the local
development of a low carbon economy and one
of the key areas of activity in the currently prepared low carbon economy plans. This is due to
the share of agriculture in the total GHG emission, as well as the high potential of rural areas
(including forestry) in terms of use their resources to increase carbon sequestration, reduce
GHG emissions and climate change mitigation,
and also use of agricultural activity to the
development of renewable energy, including the
production of biogas and biofuels (Kundzewicz
and Kozyra 2011; Colomb et al. 2013; Pandey
and Agrawal 2014; Nayak et al. 2015; Wiśniewski and Kistowski 2016, 2018; Żukowska
et al. 2016; Feliciano et al. 2017; Peter et al.
2017; Vetter et al. 2017). The inclusion of agricultural activities to shaping a low carbon economy is closely linked to the Nexus Approach to
the sustainable management of environmental
resources and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN 2015; Liu et al. 2018).
Integrated soil and land-use management,
addressing carbon sequestration, improving soil
fertility and climate change adaptation (by
increasing its carbon content, which improves
water retention), including also the energy sector
(biofuel), should be seen as water-soil-wasteenergy nexus, thus a resources-oriented nexus
(Hettiarachchi and Ardakanian 2016; Bleischwitz
et al. 2018). Several SDGs (e.g., Goals 2—end
hunger, 12—sustainable consumption and production, 13—combat climate change, and 15—
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and
sustainably manage forests) are intrinsically
linked to the planning and management for the
sustainable use of rural resources and agricultural
production space. With regard to rural areas, the
concept of sustainable development is particularly important because of the need for taking
into account the priority role of the natural
environment in the implementation of the production function and the strategic objectives of
the development of these areas (Hediger et al.
1998; Sobczyk 2014; Ammirato et al. 2017;
Haider et al. 2018). This concept includes the
actions which aim at improving the business
environment and rural life, without prejudice to
the required resources, which should include
values of environment, landscape, traditions and
cultural heritage. This approach brings together
the laws of nature and the economy by following
economic activities in the chosen direction of
development, adapted to the existing natural
conditions, as well as the needs and will of local
communities and environmental standards. The
realization of the vision of a low carbon economy
in rural areas should, therefore, be an essential
element of their sustainable development.
The aim of the study is to draw attention to the
role of agricultural activity and rural resources
(including forestry) in shaping the low carbon
economy at the local level in Poland. Actions in
these areas have been indicated, enabling
reduction of GHG emissions and improvement of
CO 2 absorption capacity, which may facilitate
the implementation of effective low carbon policy at a commune’s level.
2 Material and Methods
Poland, located in Central Europe (Fig. 1), is
characterised by a high share of agricultural land
in total surface area (approx. 170,000 km
2 , 54%
of the country’s area). Concentration of agricultural land is observed on areas with fertile soils
and in the less industrialised central and eastern
parts of the country. The lowest shares of agricultural land are observed in areas featuring
natural conditions disadvantageous for farming,
the highly forested north-western Poland, and the
areas characterised by high degree of industrialisation and urbanisation. Arable land takes the
most important share in the structure of agricultural land (more than 75%). The zonal soils,
dominated by Cambisols and Podzols occupy
around 74% of the total area of Poland. The midzonal soils, which include alluvial soils, half-bog
soils and black earth, Calcaric Leptosols, Gleyic
Phaeozems and Gleyic Podzols, occupy roughly
25% of the territory of Poland. The out-of-zone
soils are represented in Poland mainly by the
Chernozems, having developed on loess. The
arable lands in Poland are mainly covered by
Rural Resources (including Forestry) in the Local Development …
149
should be an important element in the local
development of a low carbon economy and one
of the key areas of activity in the currently prepared low carbon economy plans. This is due to
the share of agriculture in the total GHG emission, as well as the high potential of rural areas
(including forestry) in terms of use their resources to increase carbon sequestration, reduce
GHG emissions and climate change mitigation,
and also use of agricultural activity to the
development of renewable energy, including the
production of biogas and biofuels (Kundzewicz
and Kozyra 2011; Colomb et al. 2013; Pandey
and Agrawal 2014; Nayak et al. 2015; Wiśniewski and Kistowski 2016, 2018; Żukowska
et al. 2016; Feliciano et al. 2017; Peter et al.
2017; Vetter et al. 2017). The inclusion of agricultural activities to shaping a low carbon economy is closely linked to the Nexus Approach to
the sustainable management of environmental
resources and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN 2015; Liu et al. 2018).
Integrated soil and land-use management,
addressing carbon sequestration, improving soil
fertility and climate change adaptation (by
increasing its carbon content, which improves
water retention), including also the energy sector
(biofuel), should be seen as water-soil-wasteenergy nexus, thus a resources-oriented nexus
(Hettiarachchi and Ardakanian 2016; Bleischwitz
et al. 2018). Several SDGs (e.g., Goals 2—end
hunger, 12—sustainable consumption and production, 13—combat climate change, and 15—
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and
sustainably manage forests) are intrinsically
linked to the planning and management for the
sustainable use of rural resources and agricultural
production space. With regard to rural areas, the
concept of sustainable development is particularly important because of the need for taking
into account the priority role of the natural
environment in the implementation of the production function and the strategic objectives of
the development of these areas (Hediger et al.
1998; Sobczyk 2014; Ammirato et al. 2017;
Haider et al. 2018). This concept includes the
actions which aim at improving the business
environment and rural life, without prejudice to
the required resources, which should include
values of environment, landscape, traditions and
cultural heritage. This approach brings together
the laws of nature and the economy by following
economic activities in the chosen direction of
development, adapted to the existing natural
conditions, as well as the needs and will of local
communities and environmental standards. The
realization of the vision of a low carbon economy
in rural areas should, therefore, be an essential
element of their sustainable development.
The aim of the study is to draw attention to the
role of agricultural activity and rural resources
(including forestry) in shaping the low carbon
economy at the local level in Poland. Actions in
these areas have been indicated, enabling
reduction of GHG emissions and improvement of
CO 2 absorption capacity, which may facilitate
the implementation of effective low carbon policy at a commune’s level.
2 Material and Methods
Poland, located in Central Europe (Fig. 1), is
characterised by a high share of agricultural land
in total surface area (approx. 170,000 km
2 , 54%
of the country’s area). Concentration of agricultural land is observed on areas with fertile soils
and in the less industrialised central and eastern
parts of the country. The lowest shares of agricultural land are observed in areas featuring
natural conditions disadvantageous for farming,
the highly forested north-western Poland, and the
areas characterised by high degree of industrialisation and urbanisation. Arable land takes the
most important share in the structure of agricultural land (more than 75%). The zonal soils,
dominated by Cambisols and Podzols occupy
around 74% of the total area of Poland. The midzonal soils, which include alluvial soils, half-bog
soils and black earth, Calcaric Leptosols, Gleyic
Phaeozems and Gleyic Podzols, occupy roughly
25% of the territory of Poland. The out-of-zone
soils are represented in Poland mainly by the
Chernozems, having developed on loess. The
arable lands in Poland are mainly covered by
Rural Resources (including Forestry) in the Local Development …
149