Conditions for Coopetition of Farms in the Agri-Food Sector on the Example of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Province

Abstract The aim of the study was to identify the most important determinants of farms coopetition in the agri-food sector on the example of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Province. Using the survey questionnaire, the research was carried out in 2021 on a research sample of 155 entities (farms, economic self-government units, trade associations, processing undertakings, and government agencies dealing with issues related to food economy and rural development had the largest share). The results show that the respondents were aware of the potential benefits of coopetition; they primarily pointed to the opportunities to increase sales, reduce costs, and gain greater bargaining power in relations with suppliers and recipients. Defining the basic barriers to the development of coopetition in the agri-food sector, the respondents indicated, above all, low awareness of part of the business environment, the reluctance of companies to cooperate with each other, and the lack of coopetition development models. In the institutional dimension, a special role in the implementation of coopetition should be attributed to advisory entities, economic self-government, trade associations, and scientific institutions. Conditions for the development of farm coopetition in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Province include not only endogenous, but above all exogenous factors shaping the possibilities of greater involvement of the surveyed entities in strategic cooperation in the agri-food sector. It was concluded that the coopetition gap of farms can be significantly reduced by greater involvement in integration processes, e.g., in the food industry. It is also very important to inspire integration activities by regulatory institutions related to the economic development of the region.