Fruit and vegetables producer organisations – some insights on their functioning based on data from Poland

The literature on producer organisations in the agro-food sector mainly focuses on factors facilitating their establishment. Much less attention instead, is paid to investigate the way in which these organisations function. This concerns in particular their market behaviour. For example, we have only limited knowledge about marketing channels used by these organisations and about the range of products they offer. This report attempts to address these weaknesses and improve our understanding in both these respects. To do so, the report explores market behaviour of fruit and vegetables producer organisations. The specific example that the report presents comes from Poland, a country which is among the biggest producers of fruit and vegetables in the European Union.JRC.D.4-Economics of Agricultur

Gemeinschaft versus Gesellschaft: Cooperatives and the problem of free-riding in the provision of collective goods

Background: Cooperatives are unique entities that combine both non-profit and business attributes, reflecting the dual nature of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft. Research objectives: This article aims to explore the hybrid nature of cooperatives and the tension between community and business aspects in the context of the provision of collective goods. Specifically, we focused on the free-riding problem, which can harm the viability of cooperatives. Research design and methods: We based the article on critical analysis and discussion of the literature. The research questions were as follows: What is the inherent nature of cooperatives? What is the essence of the free-rider problem in cooperatives? How could the dual nature of cooperatives help deal with the problem of free-riding? Results: We discussed different Gemeinschaft-based approaches to mitigate free riding, such as kinship selection, direct reciprocity, and indirect reciprocity, which, however, create limitations on the size of the group of cooperators. There is tension between Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, as increasing membership for economic growth can lead to the erosion of social capital. We discussed three possible solutions, including massification, privatization, and leveraging the possibilities of online communities. Conclusions: Only the last approach, namely leveraging possibilities of online communities offers the solution to the difficult situation caused by the tension between Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft as it does not violate the cooperative identity while still allowing for increased scale of the operations

Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA, based on post-mortem examination of hilar lymph nodes with real-time PCR: initial study

 INTRODUCTION: According to the WHO, almost a third of the world population are thought to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Some studies of the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) have already been performed in Poland, showing that almost a quarter of the Mazovia population could be infected. It also indicated a higher prevalence of LTBI among seniors. Those studies were based on indirect diagnostic methods.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We randomly collected hilar lymph nodes from decedents aged 40 years and older during post-mortem examination. We excluded patients with previous confirmed tuberculosis. In addition, an autopsy was performed in all patients. Finally, we used real-time PCR Xpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid, USA) for the specific capture of mycobacterial DNA.RESULTS: Twenty-two of 23 patients had a negative result of the real-time PCR examination and no signs of caseous necrosis in hilar lymph nodes. We found the only positive sample in a patient with histopathological signs of tuberculosis (the presence of caseous necrosis in the specimens obtained from lymph nodes and lung). Due to the change of cartridges from version G3 to G4, further reactions were inhibited and no more post-mortem samples were tested.CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR Xpert MTB/RIF was capable of detecting M. tuberculosis complex DNA in a patient with tuberculosis recognised on autopsy. In the remaining patients, no M. tuberculosis complex DNA was found, in accordance with negative results of histological examination. Since the technology of cartridges has changed, it is no longer possible to use real-time PCR Xpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid USA) on post-mortem material. Wstęp: Zgodnie z danymi Światowej Organizacji Zdrowia, uważa się, że prawie 1/3 światowej populacji jest zakażona prątkiem gruźlicy. Wyniki badań prowadzonych przy użyciu pośrednich metod diagnostycznych nad rozpowszechnieniem utajonego zakażenia prątkiem gruźlicy w Polsce wykazały, że nawet 1/4 populacji Mazowsza może być zakażona, z przewagą u osób starszych.Materiał i metody: Podczas badania post-mortem pobierano w sposób losowy węzły chłonne wnękowe od zmarłych w wieku 40 lat i powyżej. Na podstawie danych z historii chorób wykluczono pacjentów leczonych z powodu gruźlicy w przeszłości. U wszystkich chorych przeprowadzono badanie sekcyjne. Następnie wykonywano badanie real-time PCR, Xpert MTB/RIF, Cepheid, USA w celu wykrycia DNA Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.Wyniki: U 22 z 23 pacjentów wynik reakcji real-time PCR był negatywny, a w preparatach węzłów chłonnych nie stwierdzono ziarniny serowaciejącej. W jednym przypadku badanie real-time PCR było dodatnie. Dotyczyło to chorego, u którego stwierdzono obecność ziarniny serowaciejącej zarówno w preparatach z węzłów chłonnych, jak i pobranych z nacieku płucnego. Po zmianie kartridży z wersji G3 na G4 w real-time PCR, Xpert MTB/RIF kolejne reakcje były zahamowane i nie testowano większej liczby próbek.Wnioski: Badanie metodą real-time PCR, Xpert MTB/RIF wykazało obecność M. tuberculosis complex DNA u chorego z pośmiertnie stwierdzoną gruźlicą płuc i ww. chłonnych. U pozostałych chorych nie wykryto obecności DNA M. tuberculosis complex w tkankach, co pozostawało w zgodzie z negatywnym wynikiem badania histologicznego. Po zmianie technologii badania real-time PCR, Xpert MTB/RIF zawodzi przy badaniu próbek z materiału uzyskanego pośmiertnie

Słowotwórstwo języka doby staropolskiej : przegląd formacji rzeczownikowych

This work is a survey of derived nouns found in Polish texts written before the year 1500. A formal arrangement assumed here to be primary satisfies the following pattern: A. Forms derived from a single base of derivation I. Affixal derivation 1. Suffixal derivatives 2. Préfixai derivatives II. Paradigmatic derivation III. Desintegrating derivation (with base modification) B. Compounding C. Derivatives based on syntactic units 1. Formations derived from prepositional units 2. Formations derived from a negated verb. Within each of these classes the derivatives are grouped first according to the formative and later according to the word-formation base. So classified, lexemes are cited together with their definition (word-thing definition) and the bases of derivation. The main objective of the survey is to form a basis of comparison with numerous analyses of nominal derivation in contemporary Polish. The linguistic material offered in this work is comparable with that of contemporary Polish and provides a clear picture of similarities and differences. The data show that the core of word-formation rules has not be changed in spite of the fact that the lexical units observing the rules are not the same. However significant differences are also observable. In the Old Polish there existed formatives, eg., -ic, -icz, -ec, -esc replaced after 1500 by, eg., -owicz, -ys, -is, -us. Also such prefixes as o-, pa-, prze-, sq-, wq- have passed out of use. New prefixes, e.g., archi-, arcy-, eks-, are only recent borrowings. However it is not only the number of the formatives that contrasts strongly with the modern ones but their function. The data under analysis provide a number of formatives with obsolete senses, e.g., -isko or -iszcze) as well as numerous derived forms in which the formative is semantically empty ( cf. modern Polish strona : stronica). Even more striking is the broad range of synonymy, expressing itself in a variety of derivational morphems, a characteristic extremely rare nowadays. The crucial differences arise however from the frequency relations between word-formation categories and types. A broad and reliable analysis of source material of the contemporary Polish language makes it possible to recognise differences between the two remote temporal planes and to identify problems deserving the attention of historical word-formation

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Size of Membership and Survival Patterns of Producers’ Organizations in Agriculture—Social Aspects Based on Evidence from Poland

Agricultural producer organizations are considered to be an efficient way for farmers to build up bargaining power, thereby increasing farmers’ incomes. While making a contribution to the research on the longevity of cooperatives, we tried to identify some regularities concerning the survival of these entities in the specific context of transition economies. In this paper, we look more closely at potential relationships between the development of producers’ organizations (POs) and the size of their membership. Then, we link the size of the membership with the concept of social capital. For our purposes, it is necessary to depart from using a general concept of social capital and to differentiate between bonding and bridging social capital. Our results, based on two unique datasets from Poland, clearly showed that relatively larger POs have higher rates of survival. This, in turn, is correlated with the stock and the type of social capital. The main contribution of the study is in identifying the relevance of the size of the membership of newly-established POs to their survival. The findings are followed by policy recommendations that may be useful in the context of promoting farmers’ cooperation in recognizing the low stock of social capital, specifically bridging social capital

DIAGNOSIS OF DEVELOPEMENT AND PERSPECTIVES ON SUPPORT OF PRODUCER GROUPS IN POLAND

The aim of the article was to assess the previous process of organisation of agricultural producers in producer groups in Poland, and to determine further directions of development of this kind of cooperation. The study discusses factors, indicated in the literature, which determine the development of producer groups, and analyses framework of the law and the policy of supporting producer groups in Poland. Current level of union of producers in agricultural producer groups and in fruit and vegetable producer groups is highly unsatisfactory. Despite the small number of producer groups - over 1500 companies, the number of united farmers is still (below 3%) a small percentage of producers, who benefit from the aid of agricultural policy. Moreover, functioning groups still have low productive capacity - their production is 6% of market’s total production. Funds provided for the companies by the rural development and common organising of fruit and vegetables markets programmes were crucial for the stimulation of the establishment of farmer unions. Currently planned solutions for years 2014-2020 should encourage establishing larger producer groups, as well as promote cooperation of already existing groups. The analysis was conducted with use of secondary data, which included unpublished data of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Agency of Restructurisation and Modenisation of Agriculture

Factors affecting success of agricultural producers groups

Poor organisation of agricultural markets in Poland remains one of the biggest problems for agricultural sector. There are about 510 agricultural producer groups, but only 2% of Polish farmers selling for market are members. Knowledge on cooperation determinants and different aspects of producer groups performance is crucial to build references for policy makers and producer groups’ managers. The aim of the article was to discuss factors affecting success of producers groups understood as a level of members’ satisfaction. Data for 2006 and 2011 from 30 producers groups in fruit and vegetable sector were analysed using logit model. Three determinants occurred to be statistically important: scope of a group functions, informal cooperation with farmers before starting a formal cooperation and homogeneity of farms

Koncepcja społecznej odpowiedzialności; wkład do debaty nad przyszłością Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej

The aim of the article was to discuss the corporate social responsibility concept in the context of debate on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. The discussion begins with a short description of new policy goals as a response for the need of Common Agriculture Policy legitimation. It further shows the public response to proposed changes and some general views of Europeans on CAP and agriculture. In this context the relationship between concepts of CSR, multifunctionality and sustainable development are analyzed. / Synopsis. Celem artykułu było określenie przydatności koncepcji CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) w dyskusji nad przyszłym kształtem WPR oraz w tworzeniu systemu wsparcia rolnictwa i sektora rolno-żywnościowego. W artykule omówiono syntetycznie proponowane kierunki zmian w WPR po 2013 r. Następnie na podstawie wyników debaty publicznej określono oczekiwania społeczne wobec sektora rolnego i polityki rolnej. Na tle tych rozważań przeniesiono model koncepcji CSR na zależności pomiędzy uczestnikami łańcucha rolno-żywnościowego. Podjęto też próbę porównania koncepcji CSR z modelem wielofunkcyjnego i zrównoważonego rolnictwa tworzących podstawowe wytyczne do tworzenia Wspólnej Polityki Rolnej

WYDAJNOŚĆ PRACY W SPÓŁDZIELNIACH MLECZARSKICH I JEJ ZRÓŻNICOWANIE W LATACH 2017-2021

The aim of the study was to assess the partial productivity of dairy cooperatives in Poland in terms of labour productivity in 2017-2020. Cooperatives are important players in the dairy sector, both in Poland and in the European Union. Trends observed in the environment are creating increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of these entities. The research sample consisted of 78 cooperatives representing, in terms of employment and revenue, around 90% of the domestic cooperative dairy sector. The financial data of the cooperatives used in the study came from the STATISTA database. Descriptive statistics methods, the average annual growth rate (CAGR) and cluster analysis were applied in the analysis. The study showed significant differences among cooperatives in terms of employment size, revenue and economic labour productivity. Upward trends in these three variables were also identified for 2017-2021, with the caveat that the COVID-19 pandemic period was characterised by employment, revenue as well as labour productivity dynamics falling below zero. On the basis of the research conducted using cluster analysis, the original classification of cooperatives was proposed, taking into account labour productivity and the size of the cooperative