Poland: Golden Cross of Merit for organic operators

The following nominees were awarded the Golden Cross of Merit by the President:
 

Urszula Cackowska-Wyrwicka, a farmer, for her initiative of consumers’ education, traditional processing shows and organisation of more than  50 meetings on organic farms, the so called Otwarte Wrota (open farm gates).

Dorota Metera (photo: in the middle, shaking hands), for many years of activity in the Organic Farming Council, for 20 years of voluntary work for the country and for the protection of the Polish countryside, for her commitment to free legal advices and education, and also for helping farmers. She has been the director of the certification body Bioekspert for ten years, and is currently representing the Polish members in the IFOAM EU Group. (Photo: Józef Tyburski, Dorota Metera, Urszula Cackowska-Wyrwicka, Zbigniew Przybylak)


Jadwiga Wietrzna for the establishment of the coalition Polska wolna od GMO - GMO-free Poland. Jozef Tyburski, scientist at the University of Warmia and Mazury, for remarkable scientific work in the sector of organic farming. He has been dedicating his professional life to organic farming and has been part of Ekoland since its foundation.

Zbigniew Przybylak, the publisher of Eko-Arka, for the participation in an initiative of Ekoland to promote organic farming and the preparation of press releases on organic farming and food.

Danuta Pilarska, President of Ekoland, for being organiser of several meetings with farmers in the country, fighting for dignity and independence of Polish farmers and against GMO. (Photo: wife of the President Maria Kaczyńska at the right side with Jolanta Kamieniecka of the Insitute for Sustainable Development, left side). 

Michal Leszczyc-Grabianka was awarded the Polonia Restituta by the President for the promotion of organic farming in Radio Maryja. He is an organiser of several meetings with farmers in the country, harvest days in Jasna Góra, retreats and lectures. He was interned from 16th December 1981 to 24th February 1982, during the Martial Law period. The organic fruit grower Janusz Futoma was elected as the master of the Presidential Harvest Day. On September, 20 in Spala, he handed the symbol of good harvest - a bread of new corn - over to President Lech Kaczyñski and his wife.
 
Organic farming in Poland started slowly in the early 80-ties, during the communist era, with the first courses on biodynamic agriculture. Just after the political change in 1989, the association Ekoland was registered, probably as one of the first registered NGO’s in new democratic system. First certificates of Ekoland were granted to 29 organic farmers in 1990. The big wave of growth was connected with joining the European Union and the introduction of subsidies in the frame of agri-environmental programmes. In 2008, the total number of organic farms was at 14,896 (approx. 1 % of the total number of farms), including 6627 after conversion, and 236 processors. The total acreage of organic area was 314,847 ha (2 % of the total UAA). (Photo: strawberry field south of Warsaw)

From farm gate sales or farmers’ markets, many distribution methods were developed like specialised shops, supermarkets and internet shops. Consumers can also learn about organic products from TV and radio programmes, students are able to study organic agriculture at some agriculture universities, and local administration includes organic agriculture in local development strategies and promotion programmes. Many of the dreams regarding Polish agriculture have come true, but still more and more organic production will be needed in the future.