Publication is available only in electronic edition. This report constitutes the end result of the research conducted at IERiGŻ-PIB within the framework of the Multi-annual Programme 2005-2009 "Economic and social conditions for the development of the Polish food economy following Poland's accession to the European Union" under the following research topics: The Polish food sector in the first years of membership, The impact of structural funds of the European Union on rural development in the first years of membership. The general concept of supporting this development from structural funds and the Cohesion Fund in 2007-2013, The monitoring and analysis of changes in the Polish food supply chain, The position of Polish agriculture in the global food market, Polish agricultural holdings in the first years of membership, Regional differences in agricultural development and their impact on economic and social problems in rural areas, Calculation of gross margins for selected agricultural products and classification of agricultural holdings according to the European Union standards, Development and application of advanced analytical methods for ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of impacts of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy and macroeconomic determinants, This report also draws on the findings from external studies and expert opinions commissioned during the implementation of the Multi-annual Programme.