Agnieszka Baer-Nawrocka

The study analyzes agricultural labour productivity in the context of the economic dimension of sustainability and the idea of European Union (EU) cohesion. This idea constitutes a central principle of European integration. The basis for implementing the concept of cohesion in European agriculture is the convergence of labour productivity levels. Convergence in this area forms the foundation of economic sustainability and serves as a prerequisite for the social dimension of sustainability, while often also being an underlying factor in environmental sustainability. The analysis concerns the productivity of labour in farms by the economic size, both at the national and regional levels, based on Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data for the years 2007–2022. The β and σ-convergence methods were used. The results indicate that processes of labour productivity convergence occur in EU agriculture. This phenomenon was manifested by a decline in the heterogeneity of labour productivity levels among agricultural holdings. The fastest reduction in regional diversity was observed among the group of the largest economically farms (GE6). However, the dispersion of labour productivity levels remains considerable, and the rate of convergence continues to be slow. The convergence of labour productivity in agriculture will not accelerate without widespread and comprehensive structural changes in the sector, extending beyond mere changes in land use patterns.

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) and local markets, where farmers sell directly to consumers, are expanding across the EU, offering alternatives to conventional food chains that limit small farmers’ bargaining power and consumer traceability. In the EU, 15% of farms sell over half of their production directly. For Kosovo’s agricultural sector, SFSCs present new opportunities. This study examines SFSCs in Kosovo using data from 2,500 respondents. The findings show that 54% rely on oral contracts, 20% on written agreements, and distributors use multiple sourcing channels. SFSCs can enhance sustainability, trust, equality and growth in agriculture, business, and rural policy.

Aim: The objective of this study was to research the vulnerability of youth unemployment in rural areas of the European Union to the global financial crisis of 2007 and COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: The Eurostat data were used to show the differences in unemployment rates of young people in rural areas before and after the financial crisis of 2007 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results were compared with the data for older people as well as young people living elsewhere using Eurostat database age groups. Results: The results demonstrate that young people in rural areas are more severely affected by the crises compared to other analysed groups. However, the pace of recovery from high unemployment in this group is higher compared to urban areas. The authors also found that in EU countries where unemployment rates increased significantly after the 2007 financial crisis, young people in rural areas continue to face high unemployment rates above the EU average. Implications and recommendations: In order to design rural development programmes to support job creation it is of crucial importance to monitor levels of the rural youth labour market. Moreover, active labour policies, such as training and education, should be undertaken with the objective of increasing flexibility of young people in the rural labour market. Originality/value: The novelty of this research lies in its empirical demonstration that youth unemployment in rural areas is particularly vulnerable. Therefore, it warrants special attention in policy-making.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the changes in agricultural producers’ use of funds allocated for environmental measures under the 2007–2013 RDP (Rural Development Program) and 2014–2020 RDP in Poland. The extent to which environmental CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) funds are used was examined on a geographic basis, so as to take account of socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of districts. Correlation analysis and a cartographic method were used. The study found growing differences in how the funds are used between territorial units. The analysis of correlation provided grounds for concluding that a relationship exists between the share of environmental funds used in total RDP payments and environmental conditions, mostly including the share of permanent pasture in the structure of agricultural land (0.515 in 2014–2020). Conversely, no relationship was discovered between the level of wealth and the local agrarian structure (0.249 and 0.327 in 2014–2020). The analysis of differences between territorial units revealed that in some geographic areas that had the potential for being granted environmental funds, the farmers decided not to apply for them. Based on the above, it was concluded that the potential beneficiaries’ activity in that respect is largely impacted not only by their environmental awareness and attitude but also by historical events.

The aim of the paper is to present the situation of the protected products market in the European Union in terms of their supply. To protect the names of specific products, their unique characteristics, and the traditional manufacture, a quality scheme with the following designations: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Geographical Indication (GI) and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) was introduced in the European Union. EU databases such as eAmbrosia, GIview and European Commissions reports were used in this study. Recently available data and, to show changes, data for 2013-2023 were used. Conducting research proved the role of protected agri-food products is growing, both in terms of value and quantity. This may indicate that food producers are becoming more active in submitting products to the protected product system, which is also beneficial to consumers. However, there are large disparities among EU countries in terms of producers activity in registering products. Most of the agri-food products on the register of protected products come from southern Europe countries. The structure of registered agri-food products is dominated by vegetables and fruits, cheeses, and meat and meat products.

The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union remains at the top tier of the union’s legacies with the aim of bequeathing a sustainable future for all. Series of actions geared towards reforming the environmental and climate goals of the CAP are constantly being taken. The objective of this paper is to verify if the environmental and climatic CAP measures proposed in Poland’s Strategic Development Plan for Agriculture, for the years 2023–2027, reflect farmers’ preferences regarding the structure of the CAP support. To achieve this goal, we model a hypothetical strategic game involving farmers from different regions. The outcomes of the game were derived from the ex-post analysis of EU funds, in the application for environmental and climatic CAP measures, in addition to the results of simulations of the partial equilibrium model for the agricultural sector (CAPRI). It was found out that farmers from regions with disadvantaged agrarian structures would find it more difficult to cope with new eco-schemes due to the fact that good agricultural practices are rather low in such regions. For the long-term development of Polish agriculture, the agrarian structures need to be improved, as this affects the emission of greenhouse gases. The varying preferences of farmers from different Polish regions in implementing eco-schemes can be balanced by increasing redistributive payments.

This chapter presents the changes undergone by the Polish agricultural sector in the last three decades. These transformations were co-defined by two key processes, i.e. the economic shift and the integration with the European Union. The analysis covers the evolution of the role of agriculture in the national economy and of socioeconomic structures in rural areas. In Poland, the economic downturn was accompanied by high inflation and a high and growing unemployment rate. The history of political systems and economics has never seen anything that could match the Central and Eastern European transformation which started 30 years ago. The basic role was played by funds provided under the EU's cohesion policy and Common Agricultural Policy. They resulted in agricultural development and an increase in farmer incomes, on the one hand, and stimulated the rural shift to non-agricultural activities and multipurpose rural development, on the other.

Although the beneficial impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the stabilization on farming income is undisputable, the distribution of benefits derived from the CAP between operators and regions gives rise to some controversy. The objective of this paper was to estimate regional differences in the benefits derived from the Common Agricultural Policy in Poland based on the partial equilibrium model of the European Union (EU) agricultural sector with simulated interventions. The expectations of farmers from different regions of Poland were represented as a non-cooperative game to define vectors of change in the agricultural policy. The theory of moves was applied to set the game between different groups of farmers. Our results demonstrate that both the 1st and the 2nd pillars of the CAP were more profitable to farmers from regions with a more advantageous agrarian structure and a higher agricultural potential compared to their peers from the regions with a fragmented agriculture. However, considering long-term development objectives of the Polish agriculture, the theory of moves outcome argues against compensating for these differences by increasing redistributive payments to farmers in less favorable regions. To prevent widening of regional differences and ensure the social and economic development of rural areas in regions with less favorable agrarian structures where agriculture is currently unable to compete, it would be critical to enhance conditions for alternative types of economic activities.

The purpose of this paper was to classify FADN macroregions in the European Union into types by production potential of farms specializing in cow milk production in 2008 and 2017. The production of cow milk is one of the most important branches of animal production both in Poland and other European Union countries, therefore it is the subject of numerous publications. Most often, cow milk production is the subject of research in global terms, European Union countries or regional diversity in Poland. Relatively rarely does the subject of milk production cover a regional approach throughout the European Union. Due to dynamic changes in factors affecting milk production and, in particular, the abolition of the cow milk production quota system in EU countries in 2015, it is important to continue to monitor changes in the milk market, especially on the supply side. Hellwig’s method was employed in the calculation of the synthetic indicator of production potential for each macroregion in order to determine types. The study demonstrated that the most advantageous characteristics of the production potential of milk farms, in both years covered, were mostly reported by EU-15 macroregions located in western and northern Europe. Macroregions of new member countries, except Slovakia, were less competitive in terms of their potential. As demonstrated by this analysis, development disparities persist between milk farms located in different EU macroregions.