Rolnictwo w rozwoju obszarów wiejskich
Agriculture and Rural Development

Summary/Abstract: Deruralisation and deagrarianisation of countryside are the most important processes of socio-economic development of the second millennium. These processes are mutually supported and influenced. They have accelerated with the development of capitalism, market economy and industrialization. The course of these processes in the post-industrial era is beginning to change, also in Poland. Challenges that are currently faced by the countryside and agriculture, as well as new development realities, require a new look at the relationship of agriculture and the countryside, in particular at the assessment of deagrarianisation process and its continuation. This involves a change of the paradigm of agriculture development – which means shifting from industrial to sustainable agriculture. These paradigms are different in objectives and functions as well as ways of production (agricultural practices). The first paradigm is limited to maximization of economic benefits and production function while being based on the broad use of industrial means of production. The second one includes public goods and ecosystem functions in addition, and is based on the use of natural resources. The future seems to belong to organic farming which demonstrates high dynamics of growth. In the foreseeable future, however, we are most likely going to see a dual development of agriculture with agricultural corporations and family farms as the main stakeholders, i.e. industrial as well as organic farming. These phenomena (processes) are described in the article, which presents possible use of agriculture for the purpose of rural development, account taken of the degree of urbanisation.

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