From Communism to the European Union: A Case Study of Agricultural and Economic Development in Poland

This paper explores the Poland’s agricultural value added per worker as an indicator of economic success post-Soviet era and into its transition to the European Union. Holding GDP and other factors constant, our model shows that Poland’s value added per worker is superior to most other countries in Europe. This success is attributed to Poland’s private agricultural system, which was retained despite Soviet influence. We further conclude that countries that produce a high quantity of potatoes and rye, Poland’s top crops, on average have lower value added per worker