Agricultural Sector In Poland Research Articles

Foreign Trade as a Channel of Pandemic Transmission to the Agricultural Sector in Poland

The resilience of economic and social systems to shocks is one of the fundamental goals of sustainable development. One such event that seriously disrupted the global economy was the COVID-19 pandemic. It posed a direct threat to people’s health and lives and also caused an economic crisis. One of the effects of the crisis was the loss of stability in agricultural production with the resulting threat to food security. The foreign trade channel played a vital role in the mechanism of pandemic transmission to the agricultural sector in the world and Poland. This article aims to assess the significance of changes in international trade in agri-food commodities conducted by Polish entities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research period covers the years 2017–2021, focusing on the years 2020–2021, the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a research period allows comparative analyses during the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. The following research methods are used in this study: a critical analysis of the literature, the descriptive approach, the comparative method, and verbal logic and descriptive statistical methods. The data used in this article come from the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and cover Poland’s foreign trade turnover according to the International Standard Trade Classification (SITC) used by the United Nations Statistics Department. The COVID-19 pandemic period did not cause a drastic collapse in Polish foreign trade. Short-lived blockages in the flow of goods, which appeared in Q2 2020, resulted in a 14% drop in the value of Polish exports. Already in Q3 2020, foreign trade turnover returned to pre-pandemic levels. In Q2 2020, the value of the exports of agri-food goods decreased by only 3%. For other commodity groups, the export values were 7–40% lower. Agri-food trade proved more resilient to pandemic shocks than trade in non-agricultural sectors. The foreign trade crisis affected the imports of goods more than exports.

Prices of Means of Production in Agriculture and Agricultural Prices and Income in Poland During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Theoretical background: Agriculture is an input-intensive sector of the economy. The sector of means of production in agriculture is one of the three basic components of the food economy. The prices of agricultural inputs shape the operational costs of farms and significantly affect their income situation. Key agricultural inputs represent fertilizers, plant protection products, seeds, energy and labour force. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the functioning of food systems all over the world, including in Poland. The agricultural sector in Poland faced several challenges, including the surge in prices of means of production in agriculture. Purpose of the article: The study aims to identify and assess changes in the prices of means of production in agriculture and the impact of changes in these prices on the dynamics of selling prices of agricultural products and the income situation of farms in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research methods: The study employs various research methods, including critical literature analysis, the descriptive approach, the comparative method, verbal logic, and descriptive statistical methods. Moreover, we utilize a standardised questionnaire method utilising the CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) technique, targeting 50 experts in the field of agricultural economics, to gather their perspectives on the possibility of transferring the rise in agricultural production costs to the pricing of products sold during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary data come from the Statistics Poland, the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARMA), and the National Bank of Poland (NBP). The research period covers the years 2017–2021, with particular emphasis on the years 2020–2021, i.e., the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main findings: Research results show that only in 2020, the prices of goods purchased for current agricultural production decreased. However, in 2021, the costs of materials and services and other costs in agriculture, including wages, increased at a record pace. The demand-side causes of such cost increases were increases in money supply and agricultural income. Supply-side causes were shaped by commodity prices and wages. In Poland, the prices of goods and services purchased by farms were less variable than the prices of goods sold. The data analysis did not reveal significant relationships regarding the dynamics of the prices discussed. Such a conclusion is also confirmed by the results of a questionnaire survey directed to experts in agricultural economics. The responses concerning the possibility of transferring the increase in production costs to the prices of sold products during the pandemic years varied. In the years 2017–2021, the income situation of Polish farms was variable. In 2020, increases in income from production factors, operating surplus, and farmer’s income, and their decreases in 2021, were inversely correlated with changes in production costs in agriculture.

DIRECTIONS OF CHANGES IN THE EXPENDITURE OF POLAND’S AGRICULTURAL BUDGET DURING THE PERIOD OF GOVERNMENTS OF SUBSEQUENT COALITIONS IN 2010-2023

The purpose of the article was to indicate the directions of changes that occurred in the expenditures of the Polish agricultural budget in 2010-2023 in quantitative terms. The period adopted for analysis is interesting in that it covers successive coalition governments in Poland. The subject of the study was budget expenditures on agriculture in Poland, broken down into expenditures from the national budget (excluding the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund – ASIF, and with it) and the Budget of European Measures (BEE), taking into account Poland’s total budget expenditures, as well as GDP. The source of empirical materials was data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. An analysis of the structure and dynamics of nominal volumes, as well as those adjusted for inflation (CPI, constant prices of 2023), was applied. The research shows that during the period under analysis, there was a relatively persistent trend of real decrease in the level of total agricultural budget expenditures. The reduction in these expenditures concerned both the volume of domestic and EU funds. The relationship of the agricultural budget to the total budget and GDP also deteriorated significantly. This proves the declining importance of agriculture in the hierarchy of state budget expenditures in the long term and that the agricultural sector in Poland does not benefit proportionally from the effects of GDP growth. These unfavorable trends for agriculture have been somewhat halted in the last two years. If it were not for the financial support from the WBE (which, unfortunately, is also declining), sectoral disparities in the distribution of funds from national income would have grown even more pronounced. The rank of real expenditures on ASIF in the state budget expenditures is also successively decreasing.

Geothermal water as a raw material for the agricultural sector in Poland

Geothermal water as a raw material for the agricultural sector in Poland

Changes in Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions of the Agricultural Sector in Poland from 2000 to 2019

This paper analyzes the changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to energy consumption in the Polish agricultural sector between 2000 and 2019. Based on the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI), the changes in agricultural CO2 emissions are viewed in the context of changes in six factors, i.e., CO2 emission intensity, substitution of fossil fuels, penetration of renewable energies, energy intensity, labor productivity and number of employees. The analysis demonstrated that total energy consumption declined over the study period; this was related to a reduction in the intake of energy derived from solid fossil fuels (−1.05%), crude oil (−1.01%), electricity (−4.89%), and heat (−1.37%), and to an increased consumption of natural gas (5.78%) and biofuels (0.82%). Furthermore, it follows from the analysis that changes in CO2 emissions witnessed in that period were consistent with changes in energy consumption levels; this resulted from a negligible transformation of the energy mix (largely determined by fossil fuels). Generally, CO2 emissions declined over the study period at a rate comparable (−0.9%) to that of the reduction in energy consumption (−1.03%). In light of the LMDI method, the reduction in CO2 emissions from fuel consumption in the Polish agricultural sector was mainly driven by a reduction in energy intensity and in employment. Conversely, rapid growth in labor productivity was the key factor in increasing carbon dioxide emissions. Compared to these impacts, changes in other factors (i.e., emission intensity, energy mix and penetration of renewable energies) had an extremely small or marginal effect on the variation in CO2 emissions.

Priorities for Research on Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Poland

The need for sustainable agricultural sector is growing rapidly due to climate changes. As there are still knowledge gaps and the need for innovations that support farmers in the sustainability transition, there is a need for determining priority research areas that are vital for the sustainable development of agriculture. The aim of our study was to derive a long-term vision of the desirable agricultural sector in Poland and prioritize research areas required to make Polish agriculture sustainable. We applied the living lab approach and, by conducting a backcasting exercise with the lab members, we identified a desirable vision of agriculture in Poland and the research areas needed to realize this vision. Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Cumulative Voting (CV), we prioritized these research areas. Our results show that adaptation to climate changes is the most important area of research, having 38.6% of the total possible number of points using AHP and 29.7% in the case of CV. The analysis of the Polish strategic documents related to agriculture and agricultural research shows that, to some extent, these key research areas are already part of the national policy, but there is not sufficient funding and coordination to tackle all aspects of sustainability in agriculture.

No Chance of Success. State Agrarian Real Estate 1946–1949. A Contribution to the Research on the History of the State Agricultural Sector in Poland

Abstract The years of activity of the PNZ (Państwowe Nieruchomości Ziemskie – State Agrarian Real Estate) fell into the period of post-war agricultural reconstruction and management of Recovered Territories. Initially, their main task was to prepare for the parceling out of large landed estates, which was important for the settlement campaign. The target task was to run specialized farms that would supply the entire agriculture with seed and breeding material. After the escape of S. Mikołajczyk, the communists changed the priorities of PNZ activity, which from then on were to deal with large-scale production, and above all, manage about 1,200 hectares of agricultural land. The vast majority of the area used by PNZ was located in the western and northern regions of the country. The best conditions existed in those areas for establishing a state sector in agriculture. In spite of many achievements, PNZ was liquidated because the communists wanted to get rid of the prewar staff of specialists, mostly landowners, from the enterprise. This decision was political in nature. State farms were then created to replace PNZ.

CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF BUDGET EXPENDITURE ON THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN POLAND IN THE PASSING FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2014-2020

The aim of this article was to demonstrate the changes that took place in the structure of financing the budget of the Polish agricultural sector in the passing EU financial perspective 2014-2020. The subject of the research was expenditure on agriculture, including both the state budget and EU funds. The structure of expenses in particular areas of the agricultural budget was also considered, regarding agriculture, agricultural markets and rural development, seen as investment in the development and modernization of the agricultural sector, as well as social expenses within The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (ASIF). The study used methods of structure and dynamics analysis and was based on source material from draft budget bills for relevant years. It was proved that the importance of the agricultural sector, considered through the perspective of the funds allocated to it from the state budget, is systematically decreasing. These expenditures are significantly boosted by EU funds, which, despite the continuing downward trend, still play an important role in the development and support of the agricultural sector in Poland. The tendency is also that the share of expenditure on items from the “agriculture” part of the budget is higher than on the “agricultural markets” part of the budget, and that the agricultural budget is being renationalised (after the state budget being multiplied by European funds for several years, the share of state funds in the expenditure has increased).

Financial effectiveness and productivity of the agricultural sector in Poland

Abstract Agriculture is neither the largest nor the most effective segment of the Polish economy. However, since its importance goes beyond purely numerical characteristics, it is justified for the State to support it. What is important in this regard, however, is a kind of balance. These measures cannot be a substitute for initiatives to strengthen its financial efficiency and increase its productivity. The key question therefore becomes to what extent agricultural support through financial instruments improves the performance of this sector of the Polish economy and how neutral it remains for it, while burdening public finances. In view of the above, the purpose of this article is to examine the productivity and financial efficiency of agriculture in Poland using the FADN methodology based on agricultural accounting. The structure of the article has been subordinated to the achievement of the intended research objective. The article starts with an introduction to the issues of financial efficiency and productivity in agriculture. Next, there is a presentation of agriculture and its characteristics as a segment of the Polish economy. Further presented and discussed are the data and methodology used in the study and studies on the productivity and financial efficiency of agriculture in Poland. In the final part of the article, the authors seek to analyse the impact of public transfers on market effects and discuss the modernisation of Polish agriculture and improvement of rural infrastructure. In a sense, the whole analysis closes with a summary containing the most important findings of the studies carried out.

Horizontal Integration in the Agricultural Sector as a Factor Increasing Its Competitiveness – Experience from Poland

Abstract The aim of this article is to present the process of the development of horizontal integration in the agricultural sector in Poland in relation to the increase in its competitiveness. The article uses the data of the National Cooperative Council in Poland, The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture, as well as Central Statistical Office in Poland. The process of formation of agricultural producer groups accelerated considerably when Poland joined the EU, especially due to the possibility to receive support from public funds. In 2013, at the end of the first full financial framework 2007–2013, there were almost 1300 agricultural producer groups in Poland. The most of them functioned in central, western and north-western regions, where larger and specialised farms are prevalent and where farmers understand the need for joint activity and want to gain a possibility to generate both technological and cost and price advantages and to increase the profitability of production. So far Polish producers of cereals, oilseeds, pigs and poultry have been relatively best organised. In 2017 about 45% of all registered groups of agricultural producers had the status of cooperatives. In pigs and beef cattle production the share of cooperatives in the total number of registered groups was even higher and amounted to 70% and 83%, respectively. Such groups are capable of helping farmers to solve the problems of how to sell their products, to ensure the appropriate quality of those products and to increase the cost-effectiveness of production. Cooperatives are often involved in social, educational and cultural activities provided to their members and rural community. Therefore, it can be said that very presence of cooperatives favours the development of agriculture in a particular region and in the entire country.

National and EU budget expenditures supporting the organisation of the fruit and vegetable market in Poland after 2010

The aim of the article is to discuss the role of national and EU budget resources supporting organisation in the fruit and vegetable market. By way of introduction, the level and dynamics of (national and EU) budget expenditures supporting the agricultural sector in general was presented. Next, expenditures on the support for the fruit and vegetable market were analysed in detail. The research period covered the years 2010-2019. The authors pointed to the progressive decrease in spending on the agricultural sector in Poland, both from national and EU funds. At the same time, the support provided to the title sector was relatively large, but rather short-term, which made the formation and consolidation of the desired structures within the framework of horizontal integration impossible.

Poland’s national and EU agricultural budget after 2015. Reduction in expenditures and directions of change

The aim of the article was to present changes which took place in the financing of the agricultural sector in Poland after 2015, i.e. from the moment when a new economic option started to emerge in the national economic policy. A transition from the pro-liberal to the pro-social option is noticeable, which is reflected in the restrictions on expenditures in the national agricultural budget. Similar trends can be observed in the expenditures from the European funds budget, which are also increasingly lower. Symptoms of the renationalisation of the agricultural budget can also be observed, consisting in an initial increase in national expenditures and a relative decrease in the expenditures from the European funds budget, but to a different extent in the years under study. The article analyses the level, then the share of expenditures on the agricultural sector in the budget altogether and in GDP, taking into consideration both the expenditures on the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (ASIF) and funds from the EU budget. Next, it concentrates more closely on relations in the financing of domestic agriculture from national and EU funds, and finally, points to the social issues related to the agricultural sector through the prism of expenditures on ASIF.

Środki pomocowe UE w finansowaniu gospodarstw rolnych – studium przypadku

Artykuł dotyczy znaczenia funduszy europejskich w finansowaniu gospodarstw rolnych w Polsce. W ciągu ostatnich lat, w wyniku transformacji systemowej oraz akcesji Polski w struktury Unii Europejskiej sektor rolniczy w Polsce bardzo się zmienił. Aby zachować konkurencyjność, gospodarstwa muszą nieustannie dokonywać modernizacji parku maszynowego. Środki pomocowe Unii Europejskiej są obecnie jednym z podstawowych źródeł finansowania zakupu nowych maszyn. Sektor rolniczy w Unii Europejskiej traktowany jest priorytetowo. Każdego roku połowa budżetu Unii Europejskiej przeznaczana jest na finansowanie rolnictwa. Celem artykułu jest ocena wykorzystania środków pomocowych Unii Europejskiej w finansowaniu gospodarstw rolnych w Polsce.

Application of the input-output model for structural analysis on the example of the agricultural sector in Poland

The main objective of the article is to recognize possibilities of use of the input-output model to structural assessments in the economy, with particular reference to the agricultural sector. The included considerations have a theoretical and application dimension related to the agricultural sector. Understanding the nature of structural changes and associated tendencies is particularly useful in shaping the economic policy of the state about the use of non-automatic economic stabilizers and the identification of areas that constitute development barriers. Analysis of the case of the agricultural sector in the input-output model, from the perspective of structural evaluation, indicate that there are evident transformations. It includes, in particular, the relative increase of links between agriculture and other branches, the growth in the importance of imports (supply), and the decline in the role of self-supply. It can be expected that these trends will deepen under conditions of economic development.

THE PROBLEM OF EMPLYMENT OPTIMIZATION, AND THE QUALITY OF HUMAN POTENTIAL IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN POLAND WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Human capital is one of the main factors of socio-economic development, which directly affects the efficiency of work, also in the agricultural sector. Education, skills and competences of employees are some of the factors determining work productivity. The purpose of the article was to study trends between the level of employment in agriculture and the number of people graduating from agricultural schools. The aim was to determine the level of productivity of human potential in the agricultural sector in Poland compared to the European Union countries. Studies have shown that one of the main problems associated with the future of Polish agriculture is the decreasing number of students and graduates of agricultural higher education, as well as the low level of labor productivity index. Spearman's rank correlation and its significance tests were used as the main method, and research into the effectiveness of the agricultural sector's operation was based on the ratio being the value added per employee.

Rozwój sektora rolnego w Polsce i krajach Unii Europejskiej

The role and importance of the agricultural sector is changing in the process of socio-economic development. Despite the ongoing changes, agriculture in Poland is still an important sector of the economy, and Poland is a major producer of food. The article attempts to assess the development of the agricultural sector in Poland, by voivodships and in comparison with European Union countries, using economic indicators. An analysis of the dynamics of changes in the level of employment and gross value added in terms of three sectors was carried out. Application to the synthetic measure of development made it possible to assess individual voivodships and EU countries from the point of view of the development of the agricultural sector. The research has shown that in recent years the role of the agricultural sector in Poland and European Union countries has decreased. In addition, there was a large variation in the development of agriculture in the system of provinces and in the countries of the European Union.

Rozwój sektora rolnego w Polsce i krajach Unii Europejskiej

Rola i znaczenie sektora rolnego ulega zmianom w procesie rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego. Pomimo zachodzących zmian rolnictwo w Polsce nadal jest ważnym sektorem gospodarki, a Polska jest znaczącym producentem żywności. W artykule podjęto próbę oceny rozwoju sektora rolnego w Polsce według województw oraz w krajach Unii Europejskiej wykorzystując wskaźniki ekonomiczne. Przeprowadzono analizę dynamiki zmian w poziomie zatrudnienia i wartości dodanej brutto w ujęciu trzech sektorów. Zastosowanie do badania syntetycznej miary rozwoju umożliwiło dokonanie oceny poszczególnych województw oraz krajów Unii Europejskiej z punktu widzenia rozwoju sektora rolnego. Badanie wykazało, że w ostatnich latach rola sektora rolnego w Polsce i krajach Unii Europejskiej uległa zmniejszeniu. Poza tym zaobserwowano duże zróżnicowanie w rozwoju rolnictwa w układzie województw oraz w krajach Unii Europejskiej.

THE NATURE AND OBJECTIVES OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SMART SPECIALISATIONS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The content of the article consists of the following issues: essence of intelligent specialization strategies, characterization and analysis of national and regional smart specialization in the agricultural sector in Poland and their evaluation. The aim of the article was to show the assumptions and requirements of intelligent specialization and to present them on the example of the agricultural sector in Poland. The observations – based on the analysis of relevant literature, selected documents of the EU (including Poland) and the author’s own reflections – indicate that the basis of smart specialization is the potential of regions, community involvement and the use of knowledge and public support. Intelligent specializations in the agricultural sector most often include bio-economy, innovative technologies in the agricultural sector and safe food.

INFLOWS AND DYNAMICS OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN POLAND IN THE YEARS 2005-2014

The aim of the study was to show the level dynamics and structure of foreign direct investments and their impact on the development of the agricultural sector in Poland. The study covers the period 2005- 2014. The results show the positive impact of direct investment on the increase in the number of entities, and labor productivity in the agricultural sector. Also show a negative impact on overall employment in the agricultural sector. Share capital in 2014 was more than twice higher than at the beginning of the period.

The level and determinants of work profitability changes in the Czech and Polish agricultural sector in the years 2004-2014

The main aim of the study was to analyse changes in the work profitability in the agricultural sector in the Czech Republic and Poland in the post-accession period. The study used the Economic Accounts for Agriculture, which enabled the analysis of the economic situation in agriculture according to the uniform standards. The study was based on a system of work profitability indexes and factor analysis. The research proved that during the post-accession period (2004–2014), in the average work profitability in agriculture increased in the real terms by 6.69% per annum in the Czech Republic and by 5.66% per annum in Poland. As results from the factor analysis, favourable changes in the work profitability in the agricultural sector in the Czech Republic were chiefly caused by an increase in subsidies, a higher productivity and depreciation costs. On the other hand, the increased productivity and subsidies were the main causes of favourable changes in the work profitability in the agricultural sector in Poland.