DETERMINANTS OF LEADING OF ORGANIC FARMS IN MAŁOPOLSKA REGION

Poland is a country with significant potential for the development of organic farming. This is due to the possession of rural areas characterized by favorable natural and productive conditions. The advantages of Polish agriculture include relatively clean environment, low chemicals consumption, large labor resources and relatively low labor costs. The main objective of conducted research was to present factors determining the leading of organic farms in the conditions of fragmented agriculture in south Poland. The research was conducted in the Malopolska Voivodeship in 2017. Source material for analysis was primary information collected using PAPI method. In the survey participated 50 certified organic farms chosen by using purposive method of sample selection. In the area structure of surveyed organic farms dominated farms from 5.1 ha to 10 ha. The most popular direction of agricultural production on farms was the growing vegetables. Owners of organic farms as one of the main reasons for moving the farm from conventional to organic systems, considered the possibility of obtaining subsidies for one hectare of cultivation. These subsidies provide them financial support especially in the first years of operation on the market. The least important reason for transformation a farm from conventional to organic system was the factor associated with the reduction of environmental pollution as a result of the change in system of farming. As one of the advantages of running a organic farm, producers pointed the possibility of selecting disease-resistant plant and animal species and creating additional workplaces. On the other hand, as a basic disadvantage of organic farming, farmers pointed out the difficulties in finding market for the products from the farm. Most farm owners cooperate with various organizations connected with ecology. Very popular among them are also different kind of training courses, which are aimed at expanding knowledge of organic production. At the same time the educational activity of the surveyed farms is very low. Only in a few farms was conducted educational activity for children or people interested in ecology.

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FINACIAL FUNDS FROM EUROPEAN UNION FUNDS AS A CHANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECTOR OF ORGANIC FARMS IN POLAND

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0010.1166 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol XIX (2) ◽

pp. 95-101

Author(s):

Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle ◽

Mirosław Biczkowski

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Agricultural Policy ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Development Program ◽

Organic Production ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Rural Development Program ◽

The Impact ◽

Theoretical Foundations

The aim of the work was to present and describe the development of organic farms in Poland and the impact of EU funds on the development of this sector. The possibilities of financing their development from the Rural Development Program funds in the period 2007-2013 functioning within the framework of the Union‘s Common Agricultural Policy were pointed out. The theoretical foundations and assumptions related to the functioning of the organic farming sector were also approximated. The results show that in the years 2002-2013 there was an increase in the number and area of organic farms. The greatest impact on the increase of the number and area of organic farms is the functioning of the RDPs in the years 2004-2006 and 2007-2013 and within it the subsidies for organic production. This confirms the very strong correlation between the number of farms and the amounts of subsidies paid to farms producing organic farming. It can be assumed that in the next few years the share of the area of ecological agricultural land may exceed 4-5%.

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Financial health of agricultural enterprises in the organic farming sector

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis ◽

10.11118/actaun201159070091 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 59 (7) ◽

pp. 91-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ivana Brožová

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Financial Indicators ◽

Financial Health ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Conventional Agriculture ◽

Agricultural Enterprises ◽

Average Value ◽

Organic Farm ◽

The Individual ◽

Legal Entities

The present research was aimed at evaluating the economic performance of organic farm enterprises (legal entities) in the Czech Republic on the basis of their production base and financial health. The evaluation was carried out by means of specific financial indicators. The results recorded in the organic farming sector were confronted with those of the conventional agriculture. It stemmed from the analysis that conventionally farming legal entities, as opposed to the organically farming ones, tend to have higher average assets per hectare of farmland. Secondly, as for the structure of assets, fixed assets prevail substantially over current assets. Organic farms, on the contrary, have a significantly higher average value of external financial resources per hectare of farmland. In order to evaluate the financial health of organic farms, their economic results were used; firstly in absolute value (including per hectare calculation) and then within the individual ratios. The analysis showed that 84.4 % farms of the sample were profitable as long as subsidies were included in the yields. While excluding subsidies from the calculations, an overwhelming majority of enterprises (95.3 %) recorded a loss. Comparing the per hectare economic results, higher average profit rates were recorded for organic farms. Furthermore, financial health of the enterprises was analyzed by means of selected indicator ratios. Concrete results, including the respective commentaries, can be found in the present paper too.

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Current Status and Prospects for Organic Agriculture in Poland

Quaestiones Geographicae ◽

10.1515/quageo-2017-0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 23-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle ◽

Marta Gwiaździńska-Goraj ◽

Łukasz Wiśniewski

Keyword(s):

Organic Agriculture ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Current Status ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Organic Farm ◽

Fodder Plants ◽

Conventional Farms ◽

Average Size ◽

Agriculture And Food

Abstract Organic farming is part of a sustainable development model; at the same time it is becoming a prerequisite for the multifunctional development of rural areas. The main aim of this study is to identify the state and analyse changes in the development of organic agriculture in Poland as well as to present the possibilities for its development. The time horizon of the study covers the years 2003 to 2015. The basis of the research was an analysis of the literature, the Report of the Chief Inspectorate of Trade Quality of Agriculture and Food (IJHARS), and national empirical research; it also includes an analysis of the results of surveys carried out on organic farms in the summer of 2016, as well as our own observations. The study showed that in the years 2003-2015 Poland saw a rapid increase in the number and area of organic farms due in part to the introduction of EU subsidies. Spatial analysis of the proportions of farms by voivodeship shows that in 2015 most were recorded in Warmia-Mazuria, Podlasie and West Pomerania. Similar to the increase in the number of organic farms, the years 2003-2015 saw an increased area of organic farmland. Poland is second in the world in terms of growth in the area of organic farms. In the years 2003-2014 the average size of an organic farm remained at about 25 ha and was higher than the average size of conventional farms (10 ha). In 2014 the crop structure was dominated by fodder plants (35.8%), and meadows and pastures (31.5%). In terms of livestock production, cattle and horses had the biggest share.

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THE SALE OF ORGANIC FOOD IN KUYAVIAN-POMERANIAN VOIVODESHIP

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0010.7919 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol XIX (6) ◽

pp. 141-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ewa Koreleska

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Organic Food ◽

Original Data ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Secondary Sources ◽

Organic Farm ◽

Cash Payment ◽

The Social ◽

Production And Distribution ◽

Original Part

The main aim of the thesis was to present sale of organic food in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship upon the sample of the selected organic farm. In the original part of this article there was a presentation of development of organic farming and the market of organic food in the region as well as its significance for development of organic farming in the entire country as the background for further research. Later, sale of organic food in Poland and in the voivodeship was evaluated. The author has used the data from the secondary sources of national reports(GIJHARS) and literature of subject. Subsequently the author has used the method of case study, which has been prepared with use of the original data achieved during the study visits in the organic farm in 2015-2017. The criteria of selection included: the farm location, innovative nature and belonging to the area group of farms with the highest shares in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The author has noticed that the sale performed in the short channels of distribution, mainly in the markets, is functioning effectively if it has extra support in the social media. This form provides direct contact with the client, branding, cash payment and the opportunity of one-off sale of a great amount of goods. They meet the expectations of a group of individual customers and the whole groups, which, upon the food cooperatives, actively influence the process of production and distribution of organic food providing saferty of functioning to the organic farms of this type.

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Viability of Organic Production in Rural Counties: County and State-Level Evidence from the United States

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s1074070800004430 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 443-451 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Genti Kostandini ◽

Elton Mykerezi ◽

Eftila Tanellari

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

State Level ◽

The United States ◽

Organic Production ◽

Natural Amenities ◽

Level Data ◽

Positive Effect

We investigate the determinants of organic farming in the United States. State-level data show that the organic farming sector has grown over the last decade, but growth has been very heterogeneous with few states accounting for most of the growth. Further analyses of county data reveal that favorable natural amenities, water for irrigation, and government payments have a positive effect on most measures of organic farming used here. Results further point out that organic farming operations are more popular among young farmers. Adjacency to metro areas is also an important determinant for the number of organic operations. Organic farming is more important for the agricultural sector of the areas that are somewhat remote but that does not appear to be the case for very remote rural areas.

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Financial competitiveness of organic agriculture on a global scale

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1423674112 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 112 (24) ◽

pp. 7611-7616 ◽

Cited By ~ 141

Author(s):

David W. Crowder ◽

John P. Reganold

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Organic Agriculture ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Organic Production ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Conventional Agriculture ◽

Benefit Cost

To promote global food and ecosystem security, several innovative farming systems have been identified that better balance multiple sustainability goals. The most rapidly growing and contentious of these systems is organic agriculture. Whether organic agriculture can continue to expand will likely be determined by whether it is economically competitive with conventional agriculture. Here, we examined the financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture by conducting a meta-analysis of a global dataset spanning 55 crops grown on five continents. When organic premiums were not applied, benefit/cost ratios (−8 to −7%) and net present values (−27 to −23%) of organic agriculture were significantly lower than conventional agriculture. However, when actual premiums were applied, organic agriculture was significantly more profitable (22–35%) and had higher benefit/cost ratios (20–24%) than conventional agriculture. Although premiums were 29–32%, breakeven premiums necessary for organic profits to match conventional profits were only 5–7%, even with organic yields being 10–18% lower. Total costs were not significantly different, but labor costs were significantly higher (7–13%) with organic farming practices. Studies in our meta-analysis accounted for neither environmental costs (negative externalities) nor ecosystem services from good farming practices, which likely favor organic agriculture. With only 1% of the global agricultural land in organic production, our findings suggest that organic agriculture can continue to expand even if premiums decline. Furthermore, with their multiple sustainability benefits, organic farming systems can contribute a larger share in feeding the world.

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Contemporary Challenges to the Organic Farming: A Polish and Hungarian Case Study

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13148005 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 8005

Author(s):

Anna Mazurek-Kusiak ◽

Bogusław Sawicki ◽

Agata Kobyłka

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Further Education ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Agricultural Producers ◽

Organic Farm ◽

Agricultural Produce ◽

Certified Organic ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

Chain Indices ◽

High Degree

From year to year, there is an increasing demand for agricultural produce from certified organic farms. However, Poland and Hungary’s demand for this product is almost twenty times smaller than in Western European countries. The greater the demand by consumers for organic farming products, the more agricultural producers decide to switch from conventional farming to organic farming, and this farming is more environmentally friendly because it uses energy and natural resources responsibly, maintains biodiversity, maintains regional ecological balance, improves soil food, and maintains good water quality. This research aimed to compare the motives and barriers to running organic farms in Poland and Hungary, and the challenges farmers must face to undertake the trouble of running an organic farm. The research was carried out among 400 Polish and 400 Hungarian farmers running organic farms. For statistical calculations, discriminant analysis, as well as single-base and chain indices, were used. The main barriers for establishing organic farms: the necessity to adapt one’s farm to the EU requirements, using only natural fertilizers, low yields, the lack of proper advice, and a high degree of bureaucracy. Therefore, for organic farming to develop, further education is needed, both for farmers and consumers. An important aspect is improving the quality of the regulations and simplifying the administrative burden related to organic farming.

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ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS OF ORGANIC FARMS IN POLAND

AGROFOR ◽

10.7251/agreng1802056w ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Wioletta WRZASZCZ

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Policy ◽

Production System ◽

Soil Condition ◽

Organic Production ◽

Organizational Forms ◽

The European Union ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Production Methods ◽

Organic Farm ◽

Farm Accountancy Data Network

Organic farms form a perspective segment of the Polish agriculture, which havebeen developing very dynamically since Poland accession to the European Union(from 2004). Changes in the population of these agricultural holdings` group arethe result of the growing demand for organic agricultural products, the growingenvironmental awareness of society, as well as current agricultural policy focusedon agrienvironmental practices, for which farmers are remunerated in the form ofsubsidies. Organic production methods include good soil condition maintenance,plant nutritious needs and animal welfare requirements. Organic farms may bedifferently organised. There are three basic forms of organic farms organization,namely: farms that are in transition to organic production system (areimplementing environmental practices in stages); farms that combine organic andconventional production system; farms organized solely according to the organicprinciples. Legal requirements strictly specify what features an organic farm shouldhave, in each of the identified organisational forms. The aim of the article is tocompare organizational forms of organic farms in Poland in terms of productionand economic efficiency. There were analyzed organic farms in comparison toconventional farms included in Farm Accountancy Data Network 2015. Theresearch were conducted on the basis of indicators analysis, considering calculationreflected costs, production, economics and subsidy value connected with theCommon Agricultural Policy directed to farms.

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FARMING IN BULGARIA - STATE AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Central European Review of Economics and Management ◽

10.29015/cerem.747 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 89

Author(s):

Roumen Otouzbirov ◽

Todorka Atanasova ◽

Iskra Nencheva

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Agricultural Policy ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Organic Production ◽

Constructive Method ◽

Environmental Practices ◽

National Priority ◽

Food Quality And Safety ◽

High Production ◽

The Common

Abstract: In recent years, Bulgarian organic agriculture is one of the sectors that is developing rapidly despite of the overall stagnation in Bulgarian agriculture and is continuously growing in farming areas as well as in number of farmers. This development is related to the suitable conditions for its adoption in our country - ecologically preserved areas; awareness and willingness of consumers to eat healthy; the realization of the benefits to the environment and rural areas; institutional support for organic farming and the good perception of organic products on international markets.Aim: Examine the condition and opportunities for development of sustainable organic farming in Bulgaria.Design / Research methods: The methods used to complete the tasks are systematic and comparative analysis, an estimated constructive method; method of statistical groupings, inductive and deductive methods of forming generalizations.Conclusions / findings: Organic farming combines the best environmental practices, biodiversity heightening, nature conservation and high production standards. At the same time, it provides public goods in terms of rural development and responds to specific consumer demand for clean and healthy products.Originality / value of the article: Organic production is an international, European and national priority. Organic farming plays an important part in the Common agricultural policy of EU for the 2014-2020 period, as well as for Bulgarian agricultural policy as a tool in regards to the sustainable management of natural resources, the preservation of food quality and safety and the humane farming means.

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INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FARMING IN POLAND

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0013.9607 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol XXII (1) ◽

pp. 213-223

Author(s):

Władysława Łuczka

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Institutional Environment ◽

Organic Production ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Institutional Barriers ◽

Organic Farmers ◽

Secondary Objective ◽

Low Levels ◽

Certified Organic ◽

High Standards

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe institutional barriers to the development of organic farming in Poland. As a secondary objective, this paper seeks feedback from organic farmers on measures taken by the institutional environment to promote the development of organic farming. This paper is based on literature reviews and selected findings from empirical research carried out in 2019 with 262 organic farms. The sample used in this study was representative of the general population of certified organic farms. The survey was a CAWI. The study found that organic farming faces many barriers, with frequent amendments to regulations being of key importance. This destabilizes and adds uncertainty to the functioning of organic farms. Another significant barrier are the high standards of organic production and low levels of financial and non-financial support. To a certain extent, these barriers result from the inefficiency of institutions surrounding organic farming. As a consequence, they are considered to poorly contribute to organic farming development.

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