ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL FEATURES OF SMALL-SCALE FARMS IN POLAND AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF AVERAGE RESULTS FOR AGRICULTURE

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to determine the economic and social features of small-scale farms in Poland in light of the results for agriculture or the countryside, in general. Small-scale farms form an integral part of Polish agriculture. Thanks to the multifunctional role they play in rural areas, their functioning is crucial for the future of agribusiness, due to the growing expectations of society regarding traditional methods of food production, targeting agricultural policy to maintain the vitality of such entities, as well as limited possibilities of working outside agriculture. That is why, in the public debate, an opinion about the need for greater support of this group of farms takes place more and more often. Their closer familiarization will help direct the support in a more appropriate way. Basic characteristics of the surveyed entities, production and income data as well as conditions defining the standard of living are presented. The work uses the results of own surveys and data of the Central Statistical Office. A descriptive approach with elements of inductive reasoning, meta-analysis based on data from questionnaire surveys and comparative analysis were used. The data shows that surveyed small-scale farms achieve less favorable production and income results, have a lower production scale and are less specialized. Although the living conditions are similar to those of households in urban areas, and even better than among rural households, the assessment of the material situation of such farms is worse. This suggests that the assessment depends on the current income situation, rather than on the long-term standard of living.