IRWIR conference "Socio-economic diversification of rural areas and prospects for rural development"
On 16 June 2010 in the Staszic Palace, ul. Nowy Świat 72 in Warsaw, the conference entitled "Socio-economic diversification of rural areas and prospects for rural development" was held, under the Honorary Patronage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Dr Marek Sawicki.
The aim of the conference was to present:
- various aspects of rural development and
- costs and benefits resulting from various options of potential solutions in terms of many aspects e.g. economic, social, environmental, territorial.
It has been assumed that the conference would be innovative as it became a bridge connecting the results of empirical studies and theory with socio-economic practice.
The need and purposefulness of organizing the proposed conference overlaps with two exceptionally important events which shall take place at the nearest time both in the European Union and in the national forum. In the EU forum, a discussion on the size and form of the Community budget after 2013 shall be finalized, which will directly determine financing the common agricultural policy and cohesion policy, also in Poland. In Poland, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has drawn up a document entitled "Directions of rural development – assumptions to the strategy of sustainable rural and agricultural development", being a sort of diagnosis of the status and development needs of rural areas in Poland. On the other hand, in the Ministry of Regional Development there are on-going works on the "National Strategy of Regional Development".
The conference was opened by: Marian Zalewski – Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Marek Zagórski – European Fund for the Development of Polish Villages, member of the board, Prof. Dr Andrzej Rosner – Head of the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development PAN (Polish Academy of Sciences).
from left: A. Rosner, M. Zalewski, M. Drygas, M. Zagórski
The diagnostic and application aim of the conference was a basis for selection of papers and speakers. The speakers raised many subjects essential to rural development, inter alia:
Marian Zalewski - Undersecretary of State at MRiRW
Today, we are discussing the common, EU agricultural policy, as threats appeared although there are specific EU prospects and funds. We are looking for an answer to the question on opportunities for our agriculture within the European Union. I am discussing economic issues with farmers, e.g. dairy industry in Australia and New Zealand and the EUR/USD ratio. Such discussions develop opportunities for global expansion of our agriculture. We are convinced that the future of agriculture should be considered in the context of power, climate and environmental safety; this regards both our national and European policy. We have 1,4 million of holdings making use of EU funds and it is necessary to create opportunities for innovativeness and development for them. We have to talk about the new context of rural development in regional aspects, about the social policy, about unemployment and equal opportunities. Only such an extensive and comprehensive analysis of the situation shall bring long-term effects. The today meeting-conference entitled "Socio-economic diversification of rural development and prospects for rural development" is a discussion on the strategy of multi-annual rural and agricultural development and this discussion should provide us with the information on basic types of actions.
Andrzej Rosner – Head of the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development PAN
Not only are rural areas in Poland highly diversified in terms of the level of socio-economic development but this diversification is even deepening. In particular, the period of fast development refers to rural suburban areas, however, this happens at the expense of formation of suburban areas.
It is possible to observe these phenomena, when analysing them by communes, the region (province) is a large unit, with high internal diversification and analyses by regions average very high intraregional diversification. Thus, a question arises whether the spatial cohesion policy, conducted by regions, includes their internal structure to a sufficient degree.
Monika Stanny- IRWIR PAN
The sustainable labour market is present in suburban areas of major cities in Poland (where high labour supply co-exists with high labour demand) but also in the eastern region of the country with advanced depopulation and demographic aging (here, low labour supply is accompanied by low labour demand). It is expected that the lack of sustainability shall increase, due to the need of reducing professional inactivity and to the effect of agricultural modernisation processes and labour substitution. Should the non-agricultural economy not absorb revealed surpluses, it is expected that hidden unemployment will increase. Currently, the entire growth of the population of productive age in Poland takes place in rural areas, its decline shall take place after 2015. Then, more favourable conditions for agricultural restructuring shall arise. After 2020, labour resources shall start aging.
Suggested directions for solving problems of the rural labour market are:
1. Permanent migrations to large cities (into the suburban zone). 2. Circular migration (travelling to work). 3. Multifunctional development but I shall stress here the role of small cities, ignored in strategic documents. However, there is no "one village" in Poland, thus, rural development must be a compromise of suggested solutions, in proportions adapted to local needs, in order to generate sources of income for their residents.
Adam Czarnecki- IRWIR PAN
Development of the country taking place in two ways (through development of metropolies and rural areas) leads to exclusion of small and medium cities and, in a wider meaning, to formation of "new" suburban areas and a gap in the urban-rural continuum which is dangerous to spatial cohesion.
Strengthening connections between rural areas and their local service centres (small cities) enables improvement of their spatial cohesion, creating, in consequence, an integrated local system.
Patrycjusz Zarębski– Koszalin University of Technology
Spatial diversification of investment attractiveness is characterized by the quite well visible descending direction from the west to the east, which is mainly caused by the course of present economic and social processes and accumulative benefits from the present infrastructure.
Concentration of investment attractiveness takes place in urban agglomerations being centres of regions as well as in their suburbs. This may be observed in all regions with the various level of investment attractiveness.
Changes in the map of investment attractiveness are of the polar nature in connection with which there is a process of strengthening systems of central regions against suburban areas.
Katarzyna Zawalińska - IRWIR PAN
The rural development policy should mainly focus on acquiring investment actions, as they are characterized by the highest effectiveness, i.e. bring the fastest development per one EUR.
Investments in human capital should proceed in two directions – on one hand, they should favour the increase in non-agricultural employment of the rural population (e.g. by way of retraining programmes, activities related to self-employment, seasonal employment, enterprise support centres), on the other hand, they should support farmers in acquiring and implementing new technologies.
Beneficiaries of programmes addressed to rural development spend obtained funds on various non-agricultural goods and services, thus, they create multiplier (growth) effects for non-agricultural sectors, favouring development of the entire regional economy and creation of non-agricultural workplaces.
Leszek Goraj- IERIGś-PIB
1. Structures of business units and organization of the state determine the very low social efficiency of labour in Poland.
2. It is reasonable to distinguish two types of agricultural holdings for the purposes of programming the agricultural policy schemes (although the valid legal regulations contain 10 definitions of them):
- holdings with no income or with marginal income from the sale of agricultural products (holdings of rural families with agricultural land)
- market-oriented holdings (commercial agricultural holdings).
3. Market production of various types of agricultural holdings is determined by their economic size
4. There is high regional diversification in market production of agricultural holdings in Poland.
Jarosław Domalewski- IRWIR PAN
The area particularly neglected in rural education is preschool education. Last year, only 17% of rural children aged three attended kindergartens (in cities, this proportion amounted to 59%). At the higher levels of the education system, community differences are not so high any longer. Young people from rural areas make educational choices, comparable to those made by their urban peers, although, at the same time, are more prudent in the field of far-reaching educational plans.
Michał Marciniak- Head of the Rural Development Department at MRiRW
"Role and importance of KSOW to rural development in Poland": National Rural Network, properly connected with the European network, should become an instrument for exchanging good practices and strengthening coordination and complementarity of initiatives for rural development, both inside and between the Common Agricultural Policy and cohesion policy. The aim of KSOW is "networking" partners from various sectors, i.e. building social capital at the supralocal level for the implementation of tasks with regard to rural development. The rural network is also to stress and demonstrate the value added which comes into existence as a result of supporting rural areas. The network should guarantee achievement of a goal which is the optimum usage of the sustainable rural development policy. After two years of the Network's operation, it may be stated that KSOW influenced the increase in the level of social activity of rural residents and of participation in the socio-economic life.
Among the conference participants, almost ¾ were practicioners representing institutions of all administrative levels and many units supporting rural development. The list of bodies and organizations:
The world of science
Institute of Agricultural Economics and Food Economy – PIB, Institute of Labour and Social Affairs, Institute of Technology and Life Sciences, Institute of Tourism and Recreation AWF, Institute of Cultivation, Fertilization and Soil Science PIB, Koszalin University of Technology, Opole University of Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, A. Mickiewicz University, University of Łódź, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Nicolaus Copernicus University, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, University of Agriculture in Kraków, University of Rzeszów, University of Silesia, University of Białystok, University of Warsaw, University of Warsaw – Institute of Political Science, University of Wrocław, Institute of Politology, University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, B. Czech Academy of Physical Education, Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development PAN
The world of practice
Agency of Agricultural Estate, Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture, Agricultural Market Agency, Analysis and Programming Office, ARMA – Regional Branch in the Dolnośląskie province, ARMA – Regional Branch in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie province, ARMA – Regional Branch in the Podlaskie province, ARMA – Regional Branch in the Małopolskie province, ARMA – Regional Branch in the Śląskie province, ARMA in Szczecin, Surveyor of Mazowieckie Province Office, Agricultural Advisory Centre, Branch in Kraków, European Fund for Development of Polish Villages, FAPA, Federation of Trade Agricultural Producers Associations, Foundation for Development of Polish Agriculture, Central Statistical Office, Podlaska Agricultural Chamber, Zachodniopomorska Agricultural Chamber, Grain and Feed Chamber, Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, Polish Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups – Organization of Legal Entities, Polish Union of Associations of Fruit and Vegetable Plantator
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Environment, New Economic Life; Łódzki ODR, Mazowiecki ODR, Podkarpacki ODR, Śląski ODR, Pomorskie Association of Rural Municipalities, Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection in Warsaw.
Poviat Starosty in Opatów, Historical Society, UNDP; Municipalities of, inter alia, Debrzno, Dębe Wielkie, Miłki, Nowosolna, Paszowice, Puszcza Mariańska; Marshal's Office in Łódź; Marshal's Office of the Dolnośląskie Region.
Marshal's Office of the Lubuskie Region, Marshal's Office of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, Marshal's Office of the Śląskie Region, Marshal's Office of the Wielkopolskie Region; Mazowiecki Regional Office, Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
Photos by I.Kurek
