Grupy producentów w rolnictwie. Refleksja socjologiczna
Producer Groups and Producer Organisations: Sociological Reflection

Summary/Abstract: By establishing producer Groups and Producer Organisations, individual far - mers, associate on their own initiative, in order to establish a stronger marketing stra - tegy, thus improving the competitiveness and value of their produce. So far, this form of organization of agricultural production has been analysed by researchers inte rested especially in the economic modernization processes of agriculture, including the competitiveness of the Polish agricultural sector. They have examined producer groups both from the perspective of the motives that accompany farmers in the establishment thereof and the difficulties encountered when they take the challenge of shaping a part of the economic process. The basic opportunities related with being a part of a producer group include: improved market conditions of the group members by increased scale of production and standardized agricultural product; technological modernization of farms together with the introduction of innovative management cultures; increase of income; or finally – reduction of the food supply chain. Referring to the sociological perspective in the analysis of agricultural producer groups means that a researcher takes into account the issues of social exchange and cooperation and the analysis of the process of building relevant institutions, while taking account of historical conditions such as path-dependence, as well as an analysis of the effects of a progressing “modernization” process understood as a transformation of attitudes and values systems or, finally, a closer look at some of the factors (or lack thereof) that enable members of producer groups to cooperate successfully. The author’s analysis of the phenomenon was based primarily on literature sources, selected official data and the results of the author’s own research done in the past.

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