Components of Path Dependence of the Agricultural Property Market in Poland

Agricultural real property has economic and social significance. An inseparable aspect of it is a historically and culturally shaped structure of ownership. The possibility of converting production of food into more profitable activity fans conflicts between the business-minded holders of farmland and the legislature seeking to protect the agricultural use of land, which have economic, but also social and political dimensions. Laws evolve in time and space, ranging from strict restrictions on transactions in land and few possibilities of changing its use to complete freedom of land use and disposal, with many intermediate solutions. This study is an outcome of author’s interest in the broad context of changes occurring in this market. The article identifies the market’s characteristics and its institutions, events, processes and mechanisms that provide insight into the present level of its institutional development.In the author’s opinion, tracing back the development of the Polish agricultural property market is useful for identifying opportunities that were missed and threats arising from ‘path dependence’. The author studies the course of development of institutions, events and historic processes using desk research, analyses the findings of the available studies, and enhances the research process with creative thinking.