THE SPATIAL CONCENTRATION AND SPECIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN EU

Agriculture is a very specific sector of the economy, significantly different from other economic activities. One of the main distinguishing characteristics of agricultural production is its surface character and strong dependence on environmental conditions, especially the nature. These conditions determine to a large extent on the structure of crops and livestock, but it is not completely determined. Therefore, it seems reasonable, taken in this article, an attempt to show concentration and specialization of agricultural production in the EU. The aim of this article is to attempt to identify the main trends in the spatial concentration of agricultural production in the EU. Another objective is to determine the specialization of individual member states in types of agricultural production. The study used location factor (LQ), which can also be used to study the concentration and specialization of region. The main results show there is a concentration of agricultural production in the EU and there are the countries specializing in a particular types of agricultural production. The analysis will be conducted on the basis of data taken from the Central Statistical Office of Poland. The analysis is conducted for the years 2005, 2010, 2012.