ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the changes that are taking place in rural areas of Poland where agriculture is no longer the sole pillar of the local economy. The research examines the strategies undertaken by local communities to find an alternative source of income and considers how these strategies are related to the idea of sustainable development and how innovative they are. In Poland the CORASON research project was carried out in two regions the Maopolska and dz regions. Both are characterized by a disadvantageous agrarian structure and a high level of unemployment. The break point in the history of non-agricultural economic activity in the community can be pinpointed as 1989, that is the collapse of the Communist system and the beginning of major political and economic changes in Poland. The local government strategy is to foster the activity of companies in the community.
