Is there a relationship between the prevailing model of agriculture and the structure of the crop and livestock insurance markets?

Given the strong dependence of its economic results on natural factors, agriculture is characterised by high exposure to risk. This paper explores the relationship between the prevailing ‘model of agriculture’ in a country and methods of risk management (in particular, insurance schemes). The Czech Republic and Poland are post-socialist countries which are characterised by different models of agricultural development. While agriculture in the Czech Republic is oriented to industrial farming with large farms, Polish agriculture has a bipolar structure that includes both small, family-owned farms and large agricultural holdings. Various approaches to agricultural insurance schemes may arise from the contrasting models of agriculture, and substantial differences in both the demand and supply sides of the crop and livestock insurance markets indicate different policy approaches to the role of agriculture in the economies of the two countries. In both the Czech Republic and Poland, policy options for farm risk management should consider the balance between budget flexibility and the criterion of efficiency (from the perspective of insurers)

Management of hypertension in pregnancy — prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term prognosis. A position statement of the Polish Society of Hypertension, Polish Cardiac Society and Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This article has been co‑published in Kardiologia Polska (doi:10.33963/KP.14904), Arterial Hypertension (doi:10.5603/AH.a2019.0011), and Ginekologia Polska (doi:10.5603/GP.2019.0074). The articles in Kardiologia Polska, Arterial Hypertension, and Ginekologia Polska are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal’s style. Any citation can be used when citing this article

Regional Innovation Strategies in Poland

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki analizy piętnastu regionalnych strategii innowacji (RSI) przygotowanych przez województwa w latach 2002–2005. Nacisk położono na analizę dokumentów z uwzględnieniem standardów, jakim powinny podlegać. W szczególności badano adekwatność warstwy diagnostycznej i stanowionych celów oraz wstępne działania realizacyjne pod kątem użyteczności dla osiągania celów. Badane strategie są stosunkowo zróżnicowane pod wieloma względami, zarówno jeśli chodzi o metodologię prac, jak i założenia koncepcyjne czy proponowane cele i działania. Główne wnioski akcentują sensowność podjętego przez regiony przedsięwzięcia, zwracając jednak uwagę na potrzebę ich dalszego doskonalenia (zwłaszcza wprowadzenie powszechnie aspektów jakościowych w warstwie diagnostycznej oraz większej spójności metodologicznej) oraz usunięcia podstawowej słabości, jaką jest niemożność uzyskania na podstawie tychże 15 RSI pełnego obrazu innowacyjności kraju. Dlatego kluczową rekomendacją jest – oprócz doskonalenia omawianych strategii – podjęcie pilnych badań ogólnopolskich nad innowacyjnością regionalną, które mogłyby być punktem wyjścia do stworzenia krajowego Systemu Wspierania Innowacji i Transferu Technologii SWIFT, bez niego bowiem wysiłki województw nie będą zadowalająco efektywne w skali kraju.Article presents results of the analysis of 15 regional innovation strategies prepared by the Polish regions in the years 2002–2005. The stress was put on their conformity with the standards. In particular, adequacy of the diagnosis and objectives and character and scope of the first implementation activities were taken into account. The strategies in question turned out to be quite different as far as methodology and conceptual underpinnings adopted or objectives and activities proposed are concerned. The efforts put into RIS preparation were not in vain, however, there is a need to upgrade them up (wider use of qualitative criteria in diagnosis, improved compatibility of methodology used) and first of all to get full picture of innovativeness of Polish regions. And this is what cannot be achieved on the basis of those 15 strategies. Strongly recommended nationwide research on regional innovativeness may serve as a starting point to create national Innovation Support and Technology Transfer System SWIFT which is considered by Authors a precondition for effective utilization of regional efforts for the benefit of the country as a whole

Controversies over the European Value Added created by CAP

From the beginning of the financial crisis – 2008/2009 – the EU entered an unprecedented period of very serious shocks. These problems first affected the economy (weak and highly variable growth with times of rather shallow recession, high unemployment, especially among young people) and then they spread to the bank sector and the national budgets. Consequently, several of the old EU countries, belonging to the euro area, became – in fact – insolvent. To make the matters worse, southern Europe was hit by a huge wave of immigration, Russians took over the Crimea, a war erupted in Donbas and Donald Trump, who can considerably weaken the NATO, won the US presidential elections. The subsequent attempts at solving these mini-crises were often delayed, not very daring and erratic. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the crisis, ultimately, started to affect also the sociopolitical and institutional areas, which is manifested in growing distrust of the Europeans in the Community institutions and liberal democracy. This, in turn, resulted in widespread populism, national and regional egoism and disintegration tendencies. Brexit is one of the first effects of the process along with the concerns that other members of the EU may take similar decisions which would be tantamount to its breakup. In these circumstances, convincing validation of further existence and development of the Community requires great intellectual, political and organisational effort, and then finding effective channels to reach as broad as possible circle of responsible citizens with the proposals, recommendations and ready application solutions to help them regain trust in the meaning of the European project and possibilities of functioning in the double national and European identity. It would be perfect to make the mended EU more democratic, i.e. to actively engage in the process the very Europeans and not only techno- and Eurocrats. One of the more interesting concepts, at the moment, seems to be the European added value, which – in a nutshell, means a sum of extra benefits obtained on account of integration against the effects resulting from the national socio-economic policy. It is possible to describe this value and, to some extent, even to quantify it for all areas of the European integration. However, the paper is restricted only to the CAP, focusing on methodological, environmental and climate, innovation and investment issues, and a set of key budget problems

Is there a relationship between the prevailing model of agriculture and the structure of the crop and livestock insurance markets? A comparison between the Czech Republic and Poland

Given its strong dependence of its economic results on natural factors, agriculture is characterised by high exposure to risk. This paper explores the relationship between the prevailing ‘model of agriculture’ in a country and methods of risk management (in particular, insurance schemes). The Czech Republic and Poland are post-socialist countries which are characterised by different models of agricultural development. While agriculture in the Czech Republic is oriented to industrial farming with large farms, Polish agriculture has a bipolar structure that includes both small, family-owned farms and large agricultural holdings. Various approaches to agricultural insurance schemes may arise from the contrasting models of agriculture, and substantial differences in both the demand and supply sides of the crop and livestock insurance markets indicate different policy approaches to the role of agriculture in the economies of the two countries. In both the Czech Republic and Poland, policy options for farm risk management should consider the balance between budget flexibility and the criterion of efficiency (from the perspective of insurers)

Subsidies versus economics, finances and income of farms (3)

Table of Contents: Subsidies for the agricultural development – theoretical approach and practice of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Review of the methodological approaches and empirical studies on investment behaviour of farmers and assessment of subsidies for agricultural development at the micro level. Use of subsidies for agricultural development and their impact on the economic and financial situation of farms. Increase of the production in the farms and its impact on the level of the operational and strategic risk. Subsidies and finance and economics of farms managed by natural persons

Assessment of the functioning of crop and livestock insurance in Polish agriculture

The study reviews and assesses functioning of subsidized crop and livestock insurance as regards the level of their use and determination of factors motivating and demotivating to conclude insurance contracts by farmers. Chapters: Risk and traditional agricultural insurance – theoretical foundations. Subsidizing agricultural insurance. Evolution of national legal provisions regarding crop and livestock insurance in 1952-2016. Assessment of the functioning of crop and livestock insurance in Poland. Income and financial situation of farms using crop and livestock insurance. Determinants of the demand for crop insurance – model approach. Impact of the purchase of insurance on selected characteristics of family farms. Viability of the purchase of crop insurance by the farm’s operator. Determinants of the demand for crop insurance, factors motivating to purchase such insurance and factors discouraging from this – results of empirical studies

Management of hypertension in pregnancy — prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term prognosis. A position statement of the Polish Society of Hypertension, Polish Cardiac Society and Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This article has been co‑published in Kardiologia Polska (doi:10.33963/KP.14904), Arterial Hypertension (doi:10.5603/AH.a2019.0011), and Ginekologia Polska (doi:10.5603/GP.2019.0074). The articles in Kardiologia Polska, Arterial Hypertension, and Ginekologia Polska are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal’s style. Any citation can be used when citing this article