Integration of the Food Supply Chain as a Factor of Sustainable Development

The aim adopted in the paper was to lead the scientific reasoning on sustainable development in context of economic entities and its integration in the supply chain. It is to be noticed that integration of supply chain is one of the factor for using or limiting the functional weaknesses of the market which are related to the three sustainability aspects as environmental, social and economic resources, as assumes the concept of sustainability. In the paper, it was searched for the relationship between these three sustainability aspects and limitation of functional weaknesses of the market through integration of supply chain. It was stated that different forms of integration might contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of environmental, social and economic resources.

Efficiency of Milk Processing Companies – Parametric and non-Parametric Approaches

In the paper, the authors considered estimation of efficiency, which measures the ability of a 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. Data from the companies of a key food processing sector in Poland, namely the milk processing sector, was used in the paper. This sector was chosen due to the large size of the sample, as well as the strategic importance and significant contribution to the production of the entire agri-food sector. Furthermore, with respect to the milk processing sector there are no comparative analyzes carried out, which justifies the need for their conduction. The analysis covered the period 2006-2011, the sample included from 103 up to 160 enterprises (depending on the analyzed year).Basing on the conducted analysis it was claimed that the integral use of the SFA and the DEA methods– combining advantages of both methods – allows preserving the analogy when comparing the results and formulating reliable conclusions

The Measuring the Efficiency of Food Chains – Selected Approaches

The aim adopted in the paper is to review methods for assessing the efficiency of supply chains and to carry out their critical evaluation. Literature studies, interviews, analysis of processes in the chains are used for analyzing of interdependence between the individual stages of supply chain and identifying the efficiency of entire supply chain. An important aspect is to determine the possibility of assessing the efficiency of supply chains in selected sectors of agribusiness by using approaches presented in the paper. Within the analyzed methods, the stochastic frontier approach can be an useful tool for estimating the efficiency on the firm level. However, the efficiency scores obtained from estimation of the stochastic frontier have a little use for policy implications and management purposes if the empirical studies do not investigate the sources of the inefficiency. Thus, it is recommended to include into the models external factors like, for instance, the degree of competitive pressure, the ownership form, various managerial characteristics, network characteristics and production quality indicators of inputs or outputs

Tools and techniques supporting innovation in the agri-food sector

The goal of the paper was to focus on the agri-food sector from a perspective of innovation. In the article, the current situation related to innovative tools and techniques identified in the agri-food sector was presented. The attention was focused on the benefits resulting in the application of innovative solutions in three areas: food safety, mechatronics, and packaging design. Empirical part of the paper includes description and summarizing of case studies on innovations implementations conducted within the framework of Interreg I-CON project. In recent years, digitalization has made its way to all industries. Technological enablers like broadband, mobile internet, big data and cloud computing have made it possible to provide new offerings (value propositions) to customers via novel business models.  Meanwhile, wearables, smart devices and the Internet of Things influence the daily activity of billions of consumers. None of these innovations would be possible without successful execution of new product development. Over the last two decades, the agri-food sector, which is one of the most critical areas of the European economy, has undergone significant changes. Companies face the necessity of constant adaptation to the changing conditions of functioning on the market, which result to a large extent from changes in customer preferences and requirements. For the agri-food industry, it is not only the current state that is important but also the vision of development and prognosis for the future. In order to stay on the market, enterprises from the food sector have to constantly develop and look for new solutions, which can be implemented both thanks to constant investments and introduction of new technologies and thanks to support from other entities

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

The Role of Agri-food Processor in the Food Economics

Theoretical description of the agri-food market allows for identification of three entities whose interactions determine the market balance. In this perspective, we can distinguish consumers, agri-food processors and agricultural producers. They form a kind of circular flow of interdependent entities. The behavior of each of them conditions the behavior of others.The goal of the paper is to evaluate the role of processor in the food supply chain. We also raise the question of food processors in the context of their impact on the producers through prices of agricultural raw materials. The considerations are made basing on formal analytical models referring to the standards on the reasoning in microeconomics which are expand by the empirical evidence of analyzed problems.The processor is crucial to the sustainability of growth in the agri-food sector, because by seeking to maximize his objective function he determines the price level of agricultural products produced by the producers, under the assumption that the price of agricultural raw materials is determined by their marginal utility for the processor. It is also the basis for isolating the intermediate demand, which is reported by the agri-food processor for agricultural raw materials and direct (final) demand reported by the consumer

Efficiency of Food Chains – Theoretical and Methodological Framework

The aim adopted in the paper was to review methods for assessing the organizational aspects of supply chains and to carry out their critical evaluation. The selected approaches of supply chains’ assessment, published in leading Journals dealing with logistics and supply chain management, were analyzed. Literature studies, interviews, analysis of processes in the chains were used for analysing of dependency between the individual stages of supply chain and identifying the integration of entire supply chain. An important issue was to determine the possibility of assessing the integration of supply chains in selected sectors of agribusiness by using approaches presented in the paper. Basing on the data from enterprises from a selected sector of food processing several approaches discussed in the paper were adopted to evaluate the configuration and organizational aspects of supply chains. These organizational aspects of supply chains were related to the efficiency of enterprises from a selected food processing sector

Procurement Price Change Outcomes for Producer & Processor along Supply Chain

The article focuses on the issue of changes in prices received and paid to an agricultural producer and agri-food processor as a source of changes in the profitability of production. The same purchase price for the first is the price received, for the second price paid. The same movement of the price, i.e. its decrease or increase, is also a source of changes in the profitability of production for both entities. However, its mechanism is different. The description of this mechanism for the agricultural producer and food processor is the subject of the remark in this article. Profitability is, as it is known, the basis of the objective function of both entities. Their own analytical reasoning which captures the essence of this mechanism has been derived. Production profitability ratios for both entities are the basis of the approach. These profitability ratios are determined by the production efficiency indexes and the relations of price received and paid. Understanding of the concept is helpful for explaining the sources of price risk for an agricultural producer and agri-food processor.In addition to derivation of analytical formulas describing the mechanism of changes in profitability, which is the main goal adopted in the article, this was subjected to initial empirical illustration, to confirm the correctness of reasoning, in particular to confirm the relationship between indicators adopted in the paper. An empirical analysis of price risk was not the goal

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

Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) as Local and Sustainable Systems

We distinguish different types of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC); nevertheless, their common main characteristic relate to reduced numbers of intermediaries between farmers/food producers and consumers. The aim of the paper is to present the SFSCs as local and sustainable food systems with their possible development. The SFSC idea follows the concept of sustainability, which is based on three pillars: environmental, social, and economic. In the paper, the authors also highlight other barriers to growth, and challenges faced by local food system