abstract: The impact of progressing climate change is becoming increasingly evident, both in the small (regional, national) and large scale (continental, global). Changes are found primarily in the seasonal cycles of weather conditions, and as a consequence it affects the functioning of the natural environment and agriculture - the sector of economy with closest ties with nature. These changes are manifested worldwide, including Europe. In view of this information 11 research teams from different European countries and from Egypt created a consortium and prepared the ADAGIO project embedded in the European program supporting the agricultural policy of individual countries. The responsibility of each partner is to identify potential problems of agriculture connected with the probable effect of forecasted climate change, to determine potential adaptation mechanisms in selected regional agricultural systems based on identified problems, as well as popularize and disseminate developed adaptation strategies of agriculture among decision-makers so that they may be incorporated in the agricultural policy of a given country. This publication contains results of studies of the Polish group of experts, who have identified hazards and proposed potential actions adapting agriculture to climate change. It describes what climatic changes are already visible. A gradual increase in temperature has been confirmed, which is manifested primarily in a decrease in differences in mean temperature of spring (an increase in temperature) and autumn (no significant change). Moreover, an increased hazard has been identified, resulting from the growing number of extreme phenomena, including droughts being particularly dangerous for agriculture. The above mentioned changes have already affected agriculture and in the future their effect will be even more evident, e.g. as the increased importance of certain agrophages or the appearance of new ones. In order to alleviate the consequences of hazards several adaptation strategies have been proposed; however, it needs to be stressed that they have to be implemented in a comprehensive way for their corrective effects to be mutually enhanced. The introduction of new crop cultivars, more tolerant to drought, should coincide with the simultaneous development of irrigation systems. At the same time we may not neglect the detailed monitoring of the appearance of agrophages with the introduction of more efficient and at the same time less noxious plant protection methods. However, since certain hazards, and as a consequence also losses are inevitable, it is necessary also to develop the system of insurance policies, which will increase economic security of farms. Summing up, although the observed and future climate changes affect the functioning of agriculture in Poland, the comprehensive introduction of adaptation actions mentioned in this publication will definitely limit potential losses resulting from climate change.
)