What will feed Europe in 2050? Polish farmers are already finding the answers

Crop failures are making headlines across Europe this August. Corn yields in Bosnia-Herzegovina have collapsed on cracked, dry soil. The German Farmers' Association expects significant harvest losses this year in wheat, potatoes and sugar beet, with total crop failure possible in some regions. Scorching temperatures brought Italian grapes to maturity earlier than ever. 

Human-caused global heating, amplified by a strong El Niño, has also driven up mortality rates on livestock farms. In June, France's national egg output fell by one million eggs a day below the norm. Drought-hit grassland forced British livestock farmers to dip into winter feed earlier than planned.  Economists now estimate that this summer's heat and drought will cost the EU around €180 billion, effectively wiping out Europe's economic growth.

Where does a continent that depends on its farmland for food security go from here? 

 "We want to close the gap between the institutions that write agricultural policy and the people who produce our food," says Anna Jakubowska of the Instytut Zrównoważonej Gospodarki (Sustainable Economy Institute). Working in partnership with Fundacja Climate & Strategy and with support from the Allianz Foundation, her team aims to embed farmers’ voices in Polish climate governance. The project convened family farmers from different regions of Poland, representing diverse generations and agricultural specialisations, to co-create shared visions for agriculture in 2050 and explore them in dialogue with policymakers and other experts. As one of the EU's largest agricultural producers, Poland sits squarely at the crossroads of climate policy, rural livelihoods and food security.  

Dorota Dembińska and Radosław Kulesza are two of the farmers who took part. Find out more about their vision, and how you can support the people growing your food.

Facing climate change head-on 

"When the haymaking season began it rained constantly. I was overwhelmed and in tears, feeling helpless because the weather was completely beyond my control," says Dorota Dembińska, when asked about moments when she realised that fundamental shifts in climate are impacting her life as a farmer. She farms 15 hectares of fields, meadows, and pastures near the Vistula in Dragacz municipality, where she also serves as village head. Her horses depend on hay.

While Dembińska raises horses and Kulesza grows organic cabbage, both remind us that farming is more than a livelihood. It sustains tens of thousands of rural communities. 

Farming as identity, not just industry 

"Farmers spoke with pride about running farms passed down from generation to generation and their children wanting to continue the work. They are emotionally connected to producing healthy, high-quality food and to a way of life inseparable from the natural world around them," concludes Anna Siewiorek from the Climate & Strategy Foundation. 

"Around my home, there are 15 hectares of fields, meadows, and pastures, along with trees, woodland patches, beavers, and a small river. Every time I look at the nature surrounding me, I know that this is where I'm meant to be. Not in the city, not in Bydgoszcz, but here in the countryside, where I grew up," says Dembińska. 

Kulesza describes a similar pull: "What mattered most was the peaceful location and the local community, which is not intimidating at all, as some might think. On the contrary, it's a real advantage when neighbours can support one another." He encourages consumers to visit farms and talk about their sustainable practices: "People from outside the community often don't realise that a large number of farmers today produce organic goods. This is extremely important not only for the farmers themselves, but also for the local community and the local economy." 

Dembińska highlights the daily discipline that livestock farming demands: “Animals need to be fed at the right times, in the right amounts, and they always require care and attention. They're like children in a way; we have to look after them constantly.”
 

Both farmers worry that the knowledge held by older generations could fade as farming modernises. "It's an intuition, a feel for the land, built over a lifetime. Alongside that comes a deep love for the land. Nowadays, some people want to exploit the land, but they don't necessarily love it," says Dembińska. 

"What matters most, in my view, is that different generations stay in touch and communicate with each other," says Kulesza. "That exchange of experience, perspectives, and practical knowledge, is essential. We need young farmers, often the children of current farmers, to stay in their communities. This is crucial, particularly in the context of the growing depopulation challenge many rural areas are facing." 

Kulesza imagines his own farm in 2050 as "an organic, or even more advanced organic, operation," shaped by AI and modern tools he hopes to see developed further. Dembińska pictures her daughter Zuzanna, having become a veterinarian, still raising horses on the family land after Dembińska herself has retired. 

Shared visions for 2050 

A shared picture emerged from the workshops: farms that combine serious technology with a locality, food quality and strong rural communities. All farmers agreed that technology alone won't secure the future of European agriculture. It depends, above all, on changes in the market system with fairer prices for farmers, closer relationships between growers and consumers and an agricultural policy stable enough to plan around. 

While one group leaned further into diversification, including agrotourism, cooperatives, and restoring wetlands, the other emphasised elements of market fairness such as stable prices, limits on low-quality imports, and a better balance between farm work and family life. 

"Our workshops with farmers in the Polish towns of Dragacz and Dobrodzień highlighted the benefits of bringing a diverse group of agricultural professionals together. The project makes the case that the future of European farmland should be built with the people who tend it, for the benefit of communities in both cities and villages," says Anna Jakubowska, who sees significant potential in broadening the conversation to the European level. 

How consumers can support farmers in strengthening climate resilience 

The impacts of the climate crisis, such as this summer's crop failures, can make people feel powerless. The farmers we spoke to remind us that resilience is built through action. Across Europe, farmers are adapting to a changing climate in different ways, often drawing on lessons from regions in the South that have long faced aridity and water scarcity. In Poland, this means retaining water, diversifying what they grow, rebuilding soil, and finding ways to keep the next generation on the land. 

For Anna Jakubowska of Instytut Zrównoważonej Gospodarki, supporting resilient farming begins with recognising a simple truth: in a changing climate, an abundant and reliable food supply cannot be taken for granted. “Local food abundance needs to be nurtured, protected and fairly rewarded,” she says. “Without that support, it may become increasingly difficult for farmers to keep producing food for their communities.” 

Anna believes that everyone has a role to play in helping farmers adapt to the challenges ahead. Consumers can choose to buy food closer to its source, support direct sales and cooperatives, and take an interest in where their food comes from. Citizens can also advocate for policies that include family farmers in climate decision-making from the outset, ensuring that small and medium-sized farms have a seat at the table. Finally, she encourages people to connect with organisations such as Instytut Zrównoważonej Gospodarki and Fundacja Climate & Strategy to learn how participatory, farmer-led approaches can be developed and supported in their own communities.