Poland Puts Food Power Back Into People’s Hands - Could ANZ Follow?

Nearly 26,000 producers have embraced a simpler route from farm to consumer, true 'food power'. Australia and New Zealand could learn from it.

While Australia and New Zealand grapple with grocery bills and supermarket dominance, Poland has been building another route to the dinner table. Its agricultural retail trade scheme allows eligible farmers to turn their own ingredients into bread, preserves, juices and other foods, then sell directly under simplified rules. Nearly 26,000 registered operators were participating by the end of 2025, up from roughly 1,700 in 2017.

The incentive is substantial. Qualifying annual sales revenue of 100,000 Polish złoty is exempt from personal income tax, with a 2% turnover tax option on revenue above that threshold, subject to conditions. That exemption is equivalent to approximately A$37,100, NZ$45,800 or US$25,700. These are sales receipts, rather than take-home earnings.

Eligible producers can operate without ordinary business registration, although registration with food authorities, hygiene requirements and labeling remain. Tax relief also requires at least half the ingredients, excluding water, to come from the producer’s own farming. Direct sales to consumers can occur across Poland without quantity caps; supplies to shops and other retailers have separate limits. The approach reduces administrative barriers while retaining food safety oversight.

For ANZ, this opens a bigger conversation about who gets to participate in the food economy. Australia’s ACCC estimated Coles and Woolworths accounted for approximately 67% of national supermarket retail sales. New Zealand’s Commerce Commission reported in June 2026 that its major supermarkets still held over 80% of the national retail market. Alongside reforming those concentrated markets, governments could give more small producers an affordable way to reach customers themselves.

SiGINT - THE SIGNAL

Make it easier for people to feed their own communities.

Poland’s participation figures show that producers will use a simpler route to market. They do not prove direct selling has solved food affordability, but they demonstrate meaningful participation can extend well beyond large food companies.

For ANZ, a similar approach could give small growers greater control over prices, products and customer relationships. Surplus fruit could become preserves; tomatoes could become sauces; crops that miss supermarket appearance specifications could find willing buyers locally.

The potential gain is twofold: producers retain more value from what they grow, and households gain another place to shop. Over-all the local community economy benefits!

THE HUMAN FACTOR

The social benefits could reach beyond the grocery bill.

An affordable entry point into food production could help farming families diversify income, enable younger growers to test ideas and give experienced producers a way to pass on practical skills. Processing seasonal surplus could also create paid work around harvesting, preparation, packaging and sales.

Regular local markets and collection points could become places where neighbours meet, recipes travel and customers learn what is growing nearby. Knowing the person behind the food creates opportunities for trust, feedback and accountability.

Community ownership could deepen that connection. A locally governed food hub could direct its surplus towards better equipment, affordable staples or services residents choose themselves. The benefit would be greater influence over both the food supply and the money moving through it.

These are potential outcomes, rather than measured results of Poland’s scheme. They would depend on accessible prices, reliable supply and sound management.

METRICS SNAPSHOT

NEARLY 26,000 - REGISTERED PRODUCERS Up from roughly 1,700 in 2017.

Signal: A simpler pathway has attracted substantial participation.

Why it matters: Small producers can collectively become a meaningful part of the food economy.

A$37,100 / NZ$45,800 / US$25,700 - APPROXIMATE TAX-EXEMPT SALES THRESHOLD

Equivalent to Poland’s 100,000-złoty annual exemption for qualifying revenue.

Signal: Small producers have room to establish sales before personal income tax applies.

Why it matters: Lower entry costs can make modest farm enterprises more viable.

THE LONG PLAY

For Australia and New Zealand, the opportunity is to combine less administrative burden with more practical societal support.

That could mean a straightforward registration pathway, requirements proportionate to the food being produced, modest tax relief and affordable access to market spaces. Councils and community organisations could help with shared processing facilities, storage and convenient collection points, services that individual growers may struggle to fund.

The emphasis should be on everyday food and everyday access. A local market offering affordable seasonal produce would deliver a different public benefit from one serving only premium shoppers. Opening hours, transport and payment options would matter as much as the stalls themselves.

Community ownership already has a place in Australia’s competition discussion: the ACCC has recommended government support for community-owned stores in remote areas where supermarket choice is limited.

Direct selling still carries costs, and cheaper food is not guaranteed. Shared facilities and coordinated collection could help producers spread those costs and pass some savings to customers. Local channels would also need to complement wider supply networks when harvests fail or seasonal availability changes.

But the ambition is compelling: give more people the ability to grow, make, sell and choose their food—and give communities the means to support them.

More power to the people starts with a practical route to market.

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