Dawid Jabkowski

The aim of this article is to determine the significance of short supply chains for local and regional development in Poland. The supply chain in Poland is defined as a coordinated set of people, financial and material resources, and activities involved in the process of delivering goods and services from the producer to the end consumer. Short Supply Chains (SSCs) are the foundation of the green economy, aiming to minimize the number of intermediaries and build direct relationships based on trust. Although short supply chains have been widely discussed in the context of sustainable agriculture and rural development, there is still limited research examining how digitalization and local organizational models jointly influence the development of SSCs and their contribution to local and regional development in Poland. This study addresses this gap by analysing selected Polish case studies and examining the combined role of digitalization, institutional support, and local initiatives in strengthening short supply chains. The article presents the situation of short supply chains in Poland using the example of selected organizations and initiatives, such as Poznań Green Market, Sady Grójeckie, Warmiński Koszyk, and Wiejska e-skrzynka. These cases demonstrate the impact of advancing digitalization on the development of local food markets, particularly in terms of shortening distribution channels, increasing access to local products, and strengthening producer–consumer relationships. The economic basis of SSCs is based on farmers taking over market margins and diversifying their income through agricultural retail trade (RHD), marginal, local, and limited (MOL) activities, and agritourism. This development is stimulated by EU funds, including the Rural Development Program (RDP) and Local Action Group (LAG) initiatives, as well as ongoing digitization and growing demand for local food. Furthermore, the development of local markets and short supply chains in the food sector is in line with the European “Farm to Fork” Strategy, which aims to ensure better food quality, reduce waste, and decrease the environmental impact of food systems. The analysis presented in the article will highlight the potential of short supply chains in political processes and make a significant contribution to the debate on strategies for supporting local and regional food markets.

The main purpose of this paper was to identify the resource conditions for the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the European Union (EU), Japan, Canada, Vietnam, and Mercosur countries. The study proved that these countries demonstrate a strong competitive potential. The largest labor resources are found in the Vietnamese agriculture, even though it has witnessed an outflow of 40% of its workforce over the recent years. The EU exhibits high levels of gross fixed capital formation in the agricultural sector. Conversely, the Vietnamese agriculture recorded the fastest growth in capital expenditure. Canada and Mercosur countries have a considerable area of agricultural land and a concentrated agrarian structure, and thus can benefit from economies of scale which, in turn, determine their global competitiveness. It is the opposite in Japan and Vietnam, with over 90% of farms having an area up to 5 ha.

Achieving a competitive advantage is a fundamental aspect of international trade. However, competitiveness is dynamic in nature, which is why we should analyse in particular the ability to achieve and, at a later time, maintain or increase competitive advantage. The aim of this article is to assess the competitive position of Polish agri-food products in the Single European Market. The analysis was conducted using deliberately selected quantitative measures of ex post competitive position. The calculations were made using statistical data from the UNCTAD database for the years 2010 to 2022 (it is important to gain trade advantages and maintain them over a longer period of time). The research shows that Poland is a net exporter of agri-food products to the SEM. In the analysed period, Poland generated trade advantages for products of animal origin and processed products. Poland generated trade advantages in exports to the SEM for products such as tobacco and tobacco products, meat and edible offal, fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, as well as meat, fish, crustacean, cereal, fruit, and vegetable products. Importantly, in the analysed period, an increase in generated trade surpluses is visible only for the first two product groups, which are also characterized by relatively high export specialization. These groups are the most important in the structure of Polish exports to the SEM and show the highest growth dynamics in terms of value.

The purpose of this study was to assess the competitive position of the Turkish agri-food sector in trade with the European Union. The study focused on agri-food products arranged as per the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS1-24), and relied on data collected in two years, 2010 and2022, retrieved from UNCTAD and Eurostat resources. The authors used the Widodo product mapping scheme to arrange the products. The results provide grounds for concluding that Turkey and the EU witnessed growth in bilateral agri-food trade. Between 2010 and2022, the exports from Turkey to the EU increased by89% whereas imports went up by84%. In the years covered by the study, Turkey had the greatest comparative advantage and the highest degree of export specialization in the following product groups: preparations of vegetables, fruit and nuts (HS20), fish and crustaceans (HS03), vegetables (HS08) and edible fruit and nuts (HS07). Conversely, Turkey showed no comparative advantages in (and was a net importer of): cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS18), cereals (HS10) and meat and edible meat offal (HS02). The mix of products traded can be viewed as rational and consistent with the classical theory of trade. Turkey’s comparative advantages provided a source of a beneficial specialization. In turn, imported products were those in which Turkey is not self-sufficient.

The main purpose of this paper was to identify the resource conditions for the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in the European Union (EU), Japan, Canada, Vietnam, and Mercosur countries. The study proved that these countries demonstrate a strong competitive potential. The largest labor...

The main objective of the article is to evaluate the investment activity of large cities in Poland in the area of developing a low-carbon economy in 2014–2020, co-financed by European Union funds. This article poses several research questions, namely: Do large cities with environmental problems actively obtain EU funding to develop a low-carbon economy? What are the main socio-economic and environmental determinants of the level of the EU funding absorption among large cities in the research area? The empirical research was conducted on the basis of the data from the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development in Poland, which is responsible for the implementation of cohesion policy funds and from the Local Data Bank of Statistics Poland. Under the 2014–2020 perspective, 223 such projects have been implemented for a total of PLN 21 billion (EUR 4.74 billion). The projects focused on: transportation, electricity, gaseous fuels, steam, hot water and air for air conditioning systems, and environmental and climate change activities. In terms of both the number and the value of EU funds spent, great variation has been observed. Analysis of the correlation relationships showed a highly positive correlation between selected indicators of investment activity in the field of low-carbon economy co-financed by EU funds (especially taking into account the value of investments per area) and socio-economic indicators of Polish metropolises. Metropolises with high demographic, economic, and financial potential have proven to be more effective beneficiaries. Interestingly, no correlation was found between investment activity in the low-carbon economy and the level of environment pollution in large cities. This means that, unfortunately, pro-environmental activities depend on the state of finances of the cities, and not necessarily on the actual needs, even taking into account the fact that the EU covers a large proportion of the costs.

Celem artykułu było zaprezentowanie świadomości konsumentów z zakresu terroryzmu żywnościowego jako nowego zagrożenia w przemyśle spożywczym. Terroryzm żywnościowy to nowe zjawisko, które w XXI wieku stanowi wyzwanie dla przemysłu spożywczego. Polega na celowym skażeniu żywności przy wykorzystaniu substancji biologicznych, chemicznych i fizycznych. Na każdym etapie produkcji żywności może dojść do intencjonalnego skażenia żywności. Do zrealizowania celu zastosowano badania ankietowe, które zostały przeprowadzone z wykorzystaniem portalu internetowego. W badaniach wzięło udział 120 respondentów z Wielkopolski. Na podstawie literatury przedmiotu oraz przeprowadzonych badań ankietowych stwierdzono, iż konsumenci nie są w pełni świadomi, że żywność może być celem ataku terrorystów. Według badanych osób, terroryzm żywnościowy ma charakter globalny i może wystąpić na każdym etapie łańcucha żywnościowego. Z racji, że terroryzm żywnościowy jest zjawiskiem nowym w gospodarce, metody wykorzystywane przez terrorystów oraz potencjalne skutki zagrożenia nie są do końca znane.