Analysis of changes in selected socio-demographic factors of family farms in Poland in 2010-2016

Abstract

Agricultural holdings run by individual farmers, known as family farms, have long dominated the Polish agriculture. The purpose of the article was to characterize selected socio-demographic features of the agricultural population and the factor of transformations within family farms. In years 2010-2016, a decline in the number of family farms in Poland and individuals working there was observed, which was a continuation of the trend initiated in the period of economic transformation. The decrease in the number of family farms was accompanied by changes consisting of the improvement in the level of education, but also aging of those managing the farms, and the departure of family members from performing non-agricultural activities. On the one hand, these phenomena demonstrated the professionalization and specialization of some family farms, but they also demonstrated the increasing diversification of the economic activity of people in small entities that constitute the majority of the farms in Poland. The presented results were based on the CSO data and literature on the subject. The study used a comparative method and a statistical data analysis.