Dominika Milczarek: Farmers’ Associations in Poland, how powerful are they in the eyes of their members

The paper draws on two empirical sources: first in-depth interviews with politicians, government officials, and leaders of farmers’ associations; second a survey of 601 members of these organisations.

According to the leaders, farmers’ associations may influence agricultural policy only to a small degree. This results from their insufficient resources, especially those that are useful for politicians (e.g., expert knowledge). The analysis based on structural equation modeling indicates that farmers’ associations are perceived to be more powerful if they have more resources, especially those stemming from cooperation among organizations. The policy outcomes of these associations’ activity are positively correlated with their perceived power and resources.