Przemiany w handlu świeżymi owocami i warzywami w Unii Europejskiej i Polsce

The paper reviews the main tendencies in trade of Poland and of the European Union countries in fresh fruit and vegetables. The general transformations in European trade including among others processes of trade concentration and internationalisation were presented. Increasing role of large shopping-area stores (hyper- and supermarkets) in reference to retail trade developments was shown on the basis of relevant statistical data used in analysis. Then, the paper examines the transition in trade in fresh fruit and vegetables at the beginning of economic transformation in Poland. This namely covers processes of warehouses' decentralisation and strengthening large distribution networks by considerable injections of capital. The dynamics according to economic agents which perform in fruit and vegetables wholesale was additionally demonstrated. Next, the development of organisations of fruit and vegetable producers as well as changes in co-operatives which took place in the nineties were discussed.