The Association of Polish Hop Growers has issued an urgent appeal in response to public consultations on the draft amendment to the Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism, as well as the Act on Health Care Services Financed from Public Funds. The organization warns that excessively restrictive regulations could destabilize the entire beer industry and its value chain — including farms specializing in hop cultivation.
A Dramatic Situation for the Beer Sector
Declines in the beer market are visible not only in official data from Statistics Poland (GUS) but also directly on hop farms and in purchase volumes. Since 2019, the beer market has contracted by 6 million hectoliters — equivalent to the annual production of around ten breweries the size of the Namysłów brewery, which has just ceased production, following the earlier closure of the facility in Leżajsk. The situation in 2025 is equally dramatic: breweries are cutting production, and even during the summer months the market fell by more than 10%.
Disproportionate Burden on the Beer Sector
The draft legislation places an unfair and disproportionate burden on the beer industry — despite the fact that beer consumption has been declining faster than that of any other alcoholic beverage for several years. At the same time, the proposal fails to address major issues such as miniature spirits bottles (“małpki”), which are widely recognized as a significant contributor to alcohol-related social problems. Breweries should not be held responsible for “alkotubki” (alcohol breath-test tubes) or for the lack of a nighttime alcohol sales ban in Warsaw.
Absurd Criticism of Non-Alcoholic Beer
Particularly alarming is the criticism and planned regulation of non-alcoholic beers. Instead of focusing on reducing the availability of “małpki” or restricting nighttime alcohol sales, the amendment would hinder the development of the non-alcoholic beer segment — a valuable alternative for consumers who enjoy the taste of beer but avoid alcohol.
Non-alcoholic beers contain the same ingredients as traditional beers, including hops, and their growing popularity provides vital support to a struggling industry. Moreover, non-alcoholic beer helps stabilize demand for hops, partially offsetting declines in the traditional beer market.
“This is a paradox. Instead of supporting products that help reduce alcohol consumption, the law discourages their development. Non-alcoholic beers prove that the industry can evolve toward responsible consumption. One has to ask who benefits from destabilizing the beer sector and undermining our entire industry,”
says Rajmund Szulc, President of the Association of Polish Hop Growers.
A Threat to Farming Families
The proposed restrictive regulations could devastate not only breweries but also hop growers and producers. In Poland, around 700 hop farmers — mostly small family farms with an average size of about 2 hectares — depend on hop cultivation as their primary source of income.
Hop cultivation is a long-term agricultural investment. Plantations have a lifespan of 15–20 years, meaning growers cannot quickly change production profiles or adapt to sudden market changes. Their investments are long-term, and returns are earned over many years. Sudden and restrictive policy changes would jeopardize years of planning and threaten the livelihoods of families who have no alternative sources of income.
“Hops are the main source of income for hundreds of families. If breweries cut production further, many of our farms will simply disappear. These regulations are a matter of survival for us,”
warns Rajmund Szulc.
A Cascade of Regulations Leading to Disaster
This is not the only legislative proposal affecting the beer sector. Parliament is also considering increases to excise tax, VAT, and the introduction of a sugar levy. Such a regulatory overload could fuel the rapid expansion of the gray market and shift consumption toward stronger alcohols.
Instead of solving the issue of alcohol abuse, the proposed regulations would likely push problematic consumption into unregulated markets and change drinking patterns in favor of harder spirits.
Call for Reason and Withdrawal of Excessive Regulation
The Association of Polish Hop Growers calls for abandoning harmful overregulation and focusing instead on measures that genuinely address alcohol abuse and increase public awareness of its consequences.
This is not merely a dispute over legislation — it is a fight for the survival of family farms that have upheld Poland’s brewing tradition for generations.
The Association urges dialogue, rational policymaking, and laws that protect rather than punish those who work honestly.
The organization has submitted its official position to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as part of public consultations on the government’s legislative proposal (UD147).
