One of the main economic tools in poland supporting the European agricultural policy are activities implemented in the scope of the Rural Development Programme (RDP). Their primary objective is the support of agricultural activity and equalisation of changes for the development of farms in areas with unfavourable environmental conditions, characterised by low soil productivity. The implementation of the RDP is a chance to improve the spatial structure of rural areas. Rational land use is an issue of key importance in the context of the production potential of agriculture. This paper presents the results of detailed analysis of literature concerning problematic areas. The analysis in this paper covers geodesic-cartographic sources of data on problem areas. The resources from databases of the real estate cadastre and other cartographic thematic studies were considered. One of the technical-legal instruments supporting rural development, namely the land consolidation process, was characterised. For the purposesof the development of the concept of the rational management of problem areas, primary criteria were determined (i.e. location, land relief, soil conditions in terms of quality and usefulness, etc.), as well as detailed criteria. The criteria were ascribed point weights. The effect of the research is the development of the concept of alternative management of agricultural problem areas in the process of the development of a land consolidation project. The obtained results in the form of georeferenced data permitted the development of a methodology of the management of agricultural problem areas during land consolidation works, applicable in any socio-economic condition, independent of the geographic location of the region.