Agriculture Studies in Poland

Agricultural market research encompasses research projects targeting the agribusiness sector — farmers, food producers, agricultural input distributors, and advisory services. These projects analyze purchasing behaviors, product preferences, satisfaction levels, and decision-making processes across the entire agricultural value chain. Due to the unique characteristics of the target audience, agricultural research requires fundamentally different methodological approaches compared to standard consumer projects.

Agriculture is one of Poland’s key economic sectors — the agri-food industry accounts for approximately 5% of GDP, and Poland is the sixth-largest agricultural producer in the European Union. Farm structures vary enormously: from large, highly mechanized commercial operations to small family-owned holdings. This heterogeneity means research must account for differences in production scale, crop specialization, region, and farmer decision-making profiles.

Typical agribusiness research projects cover: concept testing for new agricultural products (crop protection agents, fertilizers, seeds), product and advisory service satisfaction studies, distribution channel analysis (agricultural retailers, wholesalers, direct sales), brand awareness and image research for agrochemical companies, and monitoring trends in precision agriculture and digital farming technologies. ESG and sustainable agriculture projects are also becoming increasingly common.

Methodologically, agricultural research requires adapting tools to respondent-specific realities. Farmers have limited availability (seasonal fieldwork), often lower digital literacy (especially older generations), and can be skeptical about research — fearing data may be shared with regulatory authorities. The most effective methods are CATI (phone interviews — farmers are more willing to talk than fill out online forms), CAPI (face-to-face interviews on farms — high data quality but expensive), and specialized industry panels.

The primary challenge is recruiting respondents who meet precise criteria — such as rapeseed farmers cultivating 50+ hectares in a specific region. Farmer phone databases are limited, and CAWI response rates are low. Consequently, agricultural projects require longer fieldwork periods and higher recruitment budgets than standard consumer studies.