EN
The development of non-agricultural activities should be seen as a driving force of economic development, offering a chance to move the agricultural population outside agriculture, satisfying one of the key roles in the activation of rural areas. In Poland, rural living standards signifi cantly differ from urban areas and still are in themselves quite inconsistent economic system, social and cultural. This is primarily due to still existing real historical events, but also uneven laying emphasis on the individual strategies of rural development and agriculture are implemented over the past several years. The study was conducted attempt to identify and assess threats besetting the Polish agriculture and an indication of the main possible directions of development of rural areas.