Family allotment gardens (ROD) will receive EU support for increasing green areas as well as ecological activities reducing noise and air pollution and protecting animals. Granting EU funds from the Infrastructure and Environment Program 2014-2020 (OPI & E) for the development of green infrastructure ROD was announced by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Grzegorz Puda.

As announced, Poland will allocate PLN 50 million from the European Funds for the implementation of the project “Development of green infrastructure through support for allotment gardens”. This amount will be distributed by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA) among associations of allotment gardeners.

“We are aware of the importance of family allotment gardens in cities. These are places where people can rest, commune with nature, but most of all, gardens are the green lungs of cities”, said Minister Grzegorz Puda.

Henryk Kowalczyk, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, pointed out that “in many Polish cities, one can observe an insufficient share of green areas in their total area. It’s not good for the environment and it’s not good for human health.”

There are almost 5,000 family allotments in Poland. About 4 million Poles rest and spend their free time on nearly 44 thousand hectares of biologically active area, which is occupied by allotment gardens.

Adrian Andrzejewski