Agricultural Reform in Post‐Transition Poland

Agriculture occupies a unique position in the economy of transition Poland: largely non‐collectivised during the communist regime, a large proportion of its agricultural output was, and continues to be, produced on small, private, family‐run farms. In this article it is argued that the agricultural community is more at risk than many others in contemporary Polish society from the dangers inherent in the transition to a market‐driven economy. If Poland is to become a fully fledged, Western‐style nation, radical restructuring of the agricultural sector is essential, although to date reform has been rather marginal. Without a quickening of the pace of agricultural reform, Poland is unlikely to achieve her goal of full EU membership by the beginning of the next century. The portents that this will happen are not, however, promising.