Cluster Initiatives in Poland as a Factor of Economic Development

The cooperation of regional actors from science and business practices within a cluster affects both the competitiveness and innovativeness of companies and regions. The economic benefits achieved by companies participating in a cluster are varied and depend on the individual's experience, human and intellectual capital, organizational efficiency, etc. However, clusters are an important mechanism for stimulating innovation, and therefore in the knowledge-based economy, it is important to form such structures.As part of this publication, assumptions regarding a creation and development of a regional cluster and its positive impact on the economy, both local and regional, which indirectly contribute to economic growth, will be presented

Economic Impact of Integration in the Food Supply Chain

Due to the nature of the food supply chain an important aspect in the context of increasing the efficiency of agri-food companies may be an increase of the integration's degree in the chain. Therefore, exploring the relationships among these variables was found as an important research area and adopted as the goal of the paper. The paper is focused mainly on the theoretical background showing relationship between integration and performance. A description of the theoretical and methodological aspects of performance measurement and its extension (including the integration aspect) was also made in the paper.For an empirical illustration of the analyzed relationships two steps will be made. Firstly, the integration's degree in the food chain was measured. Secondly, the efficiency of the companies from the cereals processing industry in Europe was assessed. The SFA models (e.g. trans-logarithmic and Cobb-Douglas functional form) were used for assessment of efficiency. By using stochastic method (e.g. the SFA), one may show the influence of external variable (the integration in the supply chain) on the economic performance of enterprises

Agri-food business: Global challenges â Innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. The objective of the IAMO Forum is to show opportunities as well as risks for all participants of the food economy in the ongoing globalisation process: for small peasants in developing countries, farmers in Europe and globally active food enterprises and retailers. The success of enterprises depends on the ability to find innovative solutions with regard to the organisation of enterprises, chains, and markets, as well as future policy design. Concerning bio-energy strategies has to be identified to combat global warming most efficiently and concurrently attenuate the competition between "tank and table" on farmland. IAMO Forum 2008, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the papers, as well as the referees. Furthermore we are highly indebted to MARLIES LOHR, NADINE GIEMSA and RONNY RECKE who in an outstanding way contributed to the organisation of the Forum. This is true as well for the IAMO administration, whose work we gratefully acknowledge. Many sponsors has funded the IAMO Forum 2008. We are very grateful to the German Research Foundation (DFG), The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Production in Germany, The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Federal State Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and last but not least the City of Halle. Further Conference sponsors are the BIONADE Corporation, Gaensefurther Mineral Water, The Wine Growers Association of the Region Saale-Unstrut, Germany, Obsthof am SüÃen See GmbH, Monsanto Company, KWS Saat AG, Sachsen-Anhalt-Tours, Baumkuchen Salzwedel and the Hallesches Brauhaus.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, Marketing, Political Economy,

PARAMETRIC AND NON-PARAMETRIC EFFICIENCY MEASUREMENT – THE COMPARISON OF RESULTS

In the paper the author considered estimation of efficiency, which measures the ability of the company to obtain the maximum output from given inputs. The comparison of results obtained by using two approaches: parametric (on the example of the SFA method, Stochastic Frontier Analysis) and non-parametric (on the example of the DEA method, Data Envelopment Analysis) has been carried out. In the paper the data from the companies of a key food processing sector in Poland, namely the meat processing sector, was used. The analysis covered the period 2006–2011, the sample covered from 195 up to 210 enterprises (depending on the analyzed year)

PRODUCTIVITY CHANGES OVER TIME – THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

The TFPV Malmquist index is one of the tools that does not require knowledge of the price level and qives information on factors affecting productivity changes over time. The DEA-based approach allows decomposing of the TFPC indices into:technical change ( Δ T),technical efficiency change ( ΔTE) and scale efficiency change (Δ SE). A panel data from the companies of a key food processing sector, namely the meat processing, was used in the paper. The sample consisted of above 200 objects. The results indicated which of the decomposed indices ( ΔT, ΔTE, ΔSE) had the greatest impact on productivity changes in the analyzed sector

Efficiency and Integration in the Food Supply Chain

Due to the nature of the food supply chain, an increase of the integration's degree in the chain may be an important aspect in the context of increasing the efficiency of agri-food companies. Therefore, exploring the relationships among these variables was found as an important research area and adopted as the goal of the paper. The paper is focused mainly on the theoretical background showing the relationship between integration and performance. A description of the theoretical and methodological aspects of performance measurement and its extension (including the integration aspect) was also made within the framework of the paper.For an empirical illustration of the analyzed relationships two steps were made. Firstly, the integration's degree in the food chain was measured. Secondly, the efficiency of the companies from the cereals processing industry in Europe was assessed. The SFA models (e.g. Translog and Cobb-Douglas functional form) were used for assessment of efficiency. By using stochastic method (e.g. the SFA, Stochastic Frontier Analysis), one may show the influence of external variable (the integration in the supply chain) on the efficiency performance of enterprises. Efficiency of economic entities is not an unambiguous term. There are several different concepts of efficiency, its measurement and expressions. Within the framework of efficiency, many terms of similar meaning may be applied. However, these concepts are not identical. The actual concept of efficiency is derived from the structure of the production function, therefore it is conditioned by changes in the productivity of production factors and their remuneration and refers to the allocation of production factors in the most technically efficient way

Cluster Initiatives in Poland as a Factor of Economic Development

competitiveness and innovativeness of companies and regions. The economic benefits achieved by companies participating in a cluster are varied and depend on the individual's experience, human and intellectual capital, organizational efficiency, etc. However, clusters are an important mechanism for stimulating innovation, and therefore in the knowledge-based economy, it is important to form such structures. As part of this publication, assumptions regarding a creation and development of a regional cluster and its positive impact on the economy, both local and regional, which indirectly contribute to economic growth, will be presented

Economic Impact of Integration in the Food Supply Chain

Due to the nature of the food supply chain an important aspect in the context of increasing the efficiency of agri-food companies may be an increase of the integration's degree in the chain. Therefore, exploring the relationships among these variables was found as an important research area and adopted as the goal of the paper. The paper is focused mainly on the theoretical background showing relationship between integration and performance. A description of the theoretical and methodological aspects of performance measurement and its extension (including the integration aspect) was also made in the paper. For an empirical illustration of the analyzed relationships two steps will be made. Firstly, the integration's degree in the food chain was measured. Secondly, the efficiency of the companies from the cereals processing industry in Europe was assessed. The SFA models (e.g. trans-logarithmic and Cobb-Douglas functional form) were used for assessment of efficiency. By using stochastic method (e.g. the SFA), one may show the influence of external variable (the integration in the supply chain) on the economic performance of enterprises

Efficiency and Integration in the Food Supply Chain

Due to the nature of the food supply chain, an increase of the integration's degree in the chain may be an important aspect in the context of increasing the efficiency of agri-food companies. Therefore, exploring the relationships among these variables was found as an important research area and adopted as the goal of the paper. The paper is focused mainly on the theoretical background showing the relationship between integration and performance. A description of the theoretical and methodological aspects of performance measurement and its extension (including the integration aspect) was also made within the framework of the paper. For an empirical illustration of the analyzed relationships two steps were made. Firstly, the integration's degree in the food chain was measured. Secondly, the efficiency of the companies from the cereals processing industry in Europe was assessed. The SFA models (e.g. Translog and Cobb-Douglas functional form) were used for assessment of efficiency. By using stochastic method (e.g. the SFA, Stochastic Frontier Analysis), one may show the influence of external variable (the integration in the supply chain) on the efficiency performance of enterprises. Efficiency of economic entities is not an unambiguous term. There are several different concepts of efficiency, its measurement and expressions. Within the framework of efficiency, many terms of similar meaning may be applied. However, these concepts are not identical. The actual concept of efficiency is derived from the structure of the production function, therefore it is conditioned by changes in the productivity of production factors and their remuneration and refers to the allocation of production factors in the most technically efficient way

Agri-food business: Global challenges – Innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. The objective of the IAMO Forum is to show opportunities as well as risks for all participants of the food economy in the ongoing globalisation process: for small peasants in developing countries, farmers in Europe and globally active food enterprises and retailers. The success of enterprises depends on the ability to find innovative solutions with regard to the organisation of enterprises, chains, and markets, as well as future policy design. Concerning bio-energy strategies has to be identified to combat global warming most efficiently and concurrently attenuate the competition between "tank and table" on farmland. IAMO Forum 2008, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the papers, as well as the referees. Furthermore we are highly indebted to MARLIES LOHR, NADINE GIEMSA and RONNY RECKE who in an outstanding way contributed to the organisation of the Forum. This is true as well for the IAMO administration, whose work we gratefully acknowledge. Many sponsors has funded the IAMO Forum 2008. We are very grateful to the German Research Foundation (DFG), The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Production in Germany, The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Federal State Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and last but not least the City of Halle. Further Conference sponsors are the BIONADE Corporation, Gaensefurther Mineral Water, The Wine Growers Association of the Region Saale-Unstrut, Germany, Obsthof am Süßen See GmbH, Monsanto Company, KWS Saat AG, Sachsen-Anhalt-Tours, Baumkuchen Salzwedel and the Hallesches Brauhaus