Sustainable development in rural areas in the perspective of a decade of ecosystem restoration

Abstract

Rural areas are included in the concept of sustainable development, and they are characterised by a great variety of flora, fauna, and habitats; apart from the function of food production, they can fulfil numerous functions related to the protection and shaping of the environment. The paper characterises the impact of agriculture on the natural environment. Selected parameters of agricultural plant production were described for the European Union, the Netherlands, and Poland. Factors significant in the context of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) were indicated. The features of agriculture in Hajnówka county (where over 50% of the area is under protection) were selected as a reference point for the expected results, treating it as a model of an organisation for the harmonious development of agriculture in the 21st century. The study highlights the importance of biodiversity in rural areas for building a sustainable human welfare strategy. The use of ecosystem services will be permanent when the elements of the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration are widely disseminated and rooted in the civic consciousness of the inhabitants of Poland and similar spaces in Europe. This decade must be advertised as widely as possible for this to happen, writing about it in various contexts.