STRUCTURAL CHANGES AT THE POLISH ORGANIC FARMS IN 2005-2010

Organic farms are the demanded and the fast-growing form of environmental-friendly agriculture. The use of organic methods of agricultural production in accordance with the requirements of the soil, plants and animals characterizes this group of farms. Therefore, organic farms fit in with the concept of sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. The purpose of this article is to present selected structures of organic farms against the background of individual agricultural holdings in Poland and the changes that have occurred in this scope in 2005-2010. This article focuses on the following structures of agricultural holdings: area, production orientation, income and social. In order to compare these structures, the relative index of the structure similarity has been applied. There were used the Central Statistical Office’s data. In the years 2005-2010, the significant increase in the number of organic farms was observed, prompted by government financial instruments and obligatory environmental standards imposed on agricultural holdings. Factors such as demand and prices were less important. The analysis of structures proved significant differences between organic farms and all individual agricultural holdings in Poland. The structural changes in organic farms are more intensive due to the significant increase in the population of farms characterized by the larger utilized agricultural area and the simplified structure of production. These farms were also managed by farmers with a higher level of education.