Agricultural chambers together with agricultural advisory centers and other entities are
part of the European Union Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). The system
consists of a network of entities whose activities are focused on the introduction of new products,
technologies, and organizational forms for use in agriculture. The AKIS is also defined as a network
of research institutes, advisory centers, agricultural chambers, agricultural schools, and other non-
governmental organizations that help farmers to upgrade the innovativeness and competitiveness
of their farms and solve agriculture-related problems. In Poland, the activities of self-government
in the agricultural sector are specified by the Act on Agricultural Chambers of 14 December 1995.
An important research problem is the assessment of the activities of agricultural chambers in terms
of the transfer of knowledge and innovations in agriculture in Poland and the determination of
their place in the AKIS. This study of the impact of agricultural self-government on the transfer of
knowledge and innovations in agriculture was carried out through the analysis of selected agricultural
chambers in various regions of Poland taking into account the differences in the average surface
area of agricultural land belonging to one farm. The research shows that agricultural chambers’
activities had a substantial impact on the rate of absorption of EU funds under the Rural Development
Program in the analyzed regions. The comparison of the effectiveness of the agricultural chambers
in Poland with the activities of chambers in the other EU Member States indicates a weak influence
of the former on developmental processes in agriculture. Agricultural chambers should actively
participate in the formulation of the national agricultural policy, take greater measures to ensure the
stability of agricultural income and the flow of information, and be an important partner for farmers
in representing their interests.