A matter of family? An analysis of determinants of farm succession in Polish agriculture

In this paper the impact of selected determinants on farm succession in Poland is analysed. The study shows that socio-demographic\udfactors associated primarily with the characteristics of families, particularly of farm managers, had a significant infl uence\udon the family transfers of agricultural holdings. The impact of micro-economic and spatial factors on farm succession was\udobserved as well. However, the research results indicate different scales and characters of succession determinants. Behind\udthis variability was an institutional change linked to Poland’s accession to the European Union and changes in the economy.\udThe paper argues that this context, along with conducive social and legal background, reinforced a generational change in the\udsector. Analysis at the micro level was prepared on the basis of empirical data from the longitudinal IERiGŻ-PIB surveys conducted\udin 76 villages located across Poland with the use of multinomial dependent variable logit models. A unique feature of the\udstudy is an exploration of farm succession as an intra-family and generational phenomenon, relating to the different phases of\udfamily life cycle, as well as to kinship relationships. Moreover, unlike the majority of succession studies, the presented research\uddistinguishes three types of succession (inter-generational, intra-generational and reverse inter-generational) and is based\udon information concerning actual changes in surveyed rural households, not only respondents’ declarations about the future