Attitudes and opinions of farmers in the context of environmental protection in rural areas in Poland

This paper presents results of questionnaire surveys regarding the state of the natural environment in rural areas. The research was conducted on a sample of 1101 agricultural holdings in Poland. According to the analyses, agricultural producers are aware of environmental threats posed by irrational agricultural economy. Most respondents indicated the responsibility of farmers and other residents of rural areas as a basic condition for broadly understood environmental safety in rural areas in Poland. In the opinion of respondents, systems and programs for funding the replacement of heating boilers, thermomodernization of buildings, etc., are also important. There were significant differences in farmers’ declarations, taking into account the age and level of education of the respondents, as well as features of agricultural holdings (area and economic size of the agricultural holding).