Regional differentiation of changes in pig livestock procurement in Poland in 1999–2022 in the context of economic and environmental conditions

The aim of the study was to identify and analyse regional differentiation in the changes in pig livestock procurement in Poland between 1999 and 2022, as well as to indicate the main economic and environmental factors determining these changes. The research was based on data from the Statistics Poland (GUS), the National Research Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics (IERiGŻ- PIB), the Ministry of Climate and Environment (MKiŚ), and the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate (GIW). Descriptive and comparative statistics, along with the method of standard deviations from the mean value for a given year, were applied to assess the procurement intensity in relation to agricultural land area. During the analysed period, production became increasingly concentrated in selected voivodeships- namely Wielkopolskie, Pomorskie, Łódzkie, and Mazowieckie- accompanied by a decline in the importance of western and southern regions. The observed changes were driven by economic factors, including the decrease in the number of small and medium- sized farms and the growing import of piglets, as well as by environmental pressures and the spread of African swine fever (ASF). The findings highlight the need to implement pig farming technologies that mitigate environmental impacts, to strengthen strategies for combating ASF, and to promote the principles of sustainable development.