ISSUE: 1/2026
- Volume 30
- Number 1
- 2026
Subscribe NEWSLETTER
Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.

Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
The Transformation of European Union Agriculture on the Path to Climate Change Mitigation
Abstract
The sustainability of agricultural production in economic terms depends on the resilience of agriculture to climate challenges, which, in turn, is shaped by the relationship between that particular sector and the environment. Accordingly, this study provides a theoretical overview of the agricultureclimate nexus, and presents the key characteristics of European agriculture, with particular attention paid to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, this study explains: (i) the mechanisms through which agriculture in the European Union affects climate change; (ii) the development of selected indicators derived from the Eurostat database that illustrate these processes; and (iii) the ways in which agriculture can be prepared for new climactic conditions. Thus, the study combines theoretical insights from the existing literature with empirical data provided by the European Commission in order to identify the necessary transition of agriculture towards sustainability. It demonstrates an increasing impact of agricultural activity on climate change across European Union countries over a ten-year period (2014–2023), indicating the need for policymakers to reshape existing methods of agricultural practices through targeted support systems, impact mechanisms, and the adoption of an appropriate legislative framework. National policies should ensure the integration of environmental principles, facilitate the transformation of agriculture towards sustainable socio-economic development, and promote the collective interest in climate-neutral or climate-resilient solutions. The study further recognises organic agriculture as a powerful factor in mitigating climate change, as it reduces energy consumption and limits pollutant emissions associated with agricultural production.
References
Azam, A., Shafique, M., Rafiq, M. and Ateeq, M. (2023) “Moving toward sustainable agriculture: The nexus between clean energy, ICT, human capital and environmental degradation under SDG policies in European countries”, Energy Strategy Reviews. Vol. 50, 101252. DOI: 10.1016/j.esr.2023.101252.
Balafoutis, A.T., Borzecka, M., Rozakis, S., Troullaki, K., Vandorou, F. and Wydra, M. (2024) “Investigating Published Research towards a Fossil-Energy-Free Agriculture Transformation”, Energies. Vol. 17(17), 4409. DOI: 10.3390/en17174409.
Bocean, C.G. (2025) “The role of organic farming in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in the European Union”, Agronomy. Vol. 15(1), p. 198. DOI: 10.3390/agronomy15010198.
Chandio, A.A., Gokmenoglu, K.K., Dash, D.P., Khan, I., Ahmad, F. and Jiang, Y. (2025) “Exploring the energy-climate-agriculture (ECA) nexus: a roadmap toward agricultural sustainability in Asian countries”, Environment, Development and Sustainability. Vol. 27(6), 12769–12795. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04418-z.
European Commission (2021) European Climate Law. Available at: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/european-climate-law_en (Access 17.01.2026).
Eurostat (2025a) Final energy consumption by agriculture and forestry sector. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tai04/default/table?lang=en&category=ai (Access 17.01.2026).
Eurostat (2025b) Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tai08/default/table?lang=en&category=ai (Access 17.01.2026).
Eurostat (2025c) Area under organic farming. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/sdg_02_40/default/table?lang=en&category=ai (Access 17.01.2026).
Florea, N.M., Bădîrcea, R.M., Pîrvu, R.C., Manta, A.G., Doran, M.D. and Jianu, E. (2020) “The impact of agriculture and renewable energy on climate change in Central and East European Countries”, Agricultural Economics – Czech. Vol. 66(10), pp. 444–457. DOI: 10.17221/250/2020-AGRICECON.
Hafner, M. and Raimondi, P.P. (2020) “Priorities and challenges of the EU energy transition: From the European Green Package to the new Green Deal”, Russian Journal of Economics. Vol. 6(4), pp. 374–389. DOI: 10.32609/j.ruje.6.55375.
Kantor, C., Mclean, E. and Kantor, M. (2017) “Climate Change Influence on Agriculture and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Central and Eastern European Countries”, Notulae Scientia Biologicae. Vol. 9(4), pp. 449–459. DOI: 10.15835/nsb9410193.
Krukowski, A., Nowak, A., Jarosz-Angowska, A. and Różańska-Boczula, M. (2024) “Evaluation of the Significance of Agriculture in Renewable Energy Production in the Member States of the EU”, Energies. Vol. 17(12), 2973. DOI: 10.3390/en17122973.
Marković, M. (2015) “Adjustment of EU agricultural policy to the new environment”, Economics of Agriculture. Vol. 62(4), pp. 1031–1044. DOI: 10.5937/ekoPolj1504031M.
Marković, M., Krstić, B. and Popović, S. (2022) “Competitiveness of Agri-Food Exports of the Republic of Serbia in the Covid-19 Conditions”, Economics of Agriculture. Vol. 69(1), pp. 227–239. DOI: 10.5937/ekoPolj2201227M.
Myskiv, G. and Pasinovych, I. (2024) “Sustainable Development of European Countries: The Climate Component”, Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs. Vol. 28(2), pp. 173–191. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2024.9.
Nowak, A. and Kasztelan, A. (2022) “Economic competitiveness vs. green competitiveness of agriculture in the European Union countries”, Oeconomia Copernicana. Vol. 13(2), pp. 379–405. DOI: 10.24136/oc.2022.012.
Paris, B., Vandorou, F., Balafoutis, A.T., Vaiopoulos, K., Kyriakarakos, G., Manolakos, D. and Papadakis, G. (2022) “Energy use in open-field agriculture in the EU: A critical review recommending energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources adoption”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Vol. 158, 112098. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112098.
Prigoreanu, I., Ungureanu, B.A., Ungureanu, G. and Ignat, G. (2024) “Analysis of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Policies in Agriculture in the EU Regarding the European Green Deal”, Energies. Vol. 17(24), 6428. DOI: 10.3390/en17246428.
Rabbi, M.F., Popp, J., Máté, D. and Kovács, S. (2022) “Energy Security and Energy Transition to Achieve Carbon Neutrality”, Energies. Vol. 15(21), 8126. DOI: 10.3390/en15218126.
Rokicki, T., Perkowska, A., Klepacki, B., Bórawski, P., Bełdycka-Bórawska, A. and Michalski, K. (2021) “Changes in Energy Consumption in Agriculture in the EU Countries”, Energies. Vol. 14(6), 1570. DOI: 10.3390/en14061570.
Sulewski, P., Majewski, E. and Wąs, A. (2017) “The importance of agriculture in the renewable energy production in Poland and the EU”, Problems of Agricultural Economics. Vol. 1(350), pp. 50–74. DOI: 10.5604/00441600.1232992.
Sutherland, L.A., Peter, S. and Zagata, L. (2015) “Conceptualising multiregime interactions: The role of the agriculture sector in renewable energy transitions”, Research Policy. Vol. 44(8), pp. 1543–1554. DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2015.05.013.
Vistarte, L., Pubule, J., Balode, L., Kaleja, D. and Bumbiere, K. (2023) “An Assessment of the Impact of Latvian New Common Agriculture Policy: Transition to Climate Neutrality”, Scientific Journal of Riga Technical University. Environmental and Climate Technologies. Vol. 27(1), pp. 683–695. DOI:10.2478/rtuect-2023-0050.
Zafeiriou, E., Azam, M. and Garefalakis, A. (2023) “Exploring environmental-economic performance linkages in EU agriculture: Evidence from a panel cointegration framework”, Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal. Vol. 34(2), pp. 469–491. DOI: 10.1108/MEQ-06-2022-0174.
Language: English
Pages: 175-190
How to Cite:
Harvard
Marković, M. (2026) "The Transformation of European Union Agriculture on the Path to Climate Change Mitigation". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 1/2026, pp. 175-190. DOI: 10.33067/SE.1.2026.10