This study discusses the identification of factors affecting consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium for ecological goods. The study was carried out in selected regions of Ukraine, in the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv. The study applied various research methods, in particular public opinion analysis based on conducted surveys and the statistical inference method. The conducted research may constitute the scientific basis for the assessment of this market segment development. The comparison of consumer attitudes, presented by the residents of major Ukrainian cities regarding environmental goods, revealed their willingness to pay a price premium depending primarily on the purchasing power of the population, but also on gender, age, and social status. The analysis of differences in the cross-tabulation of quality characteristics was performed using Pearson’s chi-square test, which showed that, for example, men were more willing than women to choose environmental products due to their environmental safety and their selection was more often than in case of women based on environmental goods’ price. The collected research results can be used to assess the development prospects of environmental goods’ market, to construct the set of measures increasing the willingness level of domestic consumers to pay a price premium for ecological products, and to take up decisions about the production of ecological goods.

Gastronomy tourism is defined as a type of tourism that deals with the relationship between food and beverages and culture in the context of the local culinary culture. Local dishes, recipes, and culinary culture, which express the lifestyle of cities, are an important part of tourists’ choice of destinations. According to many studies undertaken in recent years, tourists have seen an increase in the number of trips conducted to taste a cultural dish and to learn cooking techniques and cooking skills. In this study, the Trabzon (Turkey) and Podhale (Poland) regions were selected as a study area. These regions are characterised by unique, very interesting culture and art and, especially, folklore. The cuisines from Podhale and from the Trabzon region are equally attractive. The study was conducted on 151 people in Trabzon and 102 respondents in the Podhale region. The study revealed that only 15 out of 253 respondents had not heard about regional and traditional products. The authors analyzed whether people from different age groups had specific habits concerning the place of purchasing regional products in the analysed regions of Poland and Turkey. Regarding the question of whether the motivation to buy regional products was the same in households with a larger and smaller number of residents, it was found that only one correlation proved to be statistically significant: the correlation between household size and buying regional products because of their price.

Agriculture is an important branch in Ukraine’s economy. The share of agriculture’s GDP in the national economy is more than 10%. The development of agriculture stimulates the development of other sectors in national economy. According to the results of the analysis of the employment dynamics in Ukraine’s agriculture, it was concluded that there was a negative tendency. That is why the aim of the article is to specify the factors of impact on employment in Ukraine’s agriculture and to assess the degree of their influence. To achieve this goal, the different methods were used: system analysis—for determination the factors influencing employment in agriculture; factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, principal components method—for evaluating the impact of various factors on the employment in agriculture of Ukraine. It was found that the most significant social-demographic factors of impact on employment in Ukraine’s agriculture include the total rural population at the age 16–64 and the demand for labor force in agriculture, and the most important economic factor is labor productivity. Determining the factors and measures of their impact on employment will substantiate public policy measures, methods and mechanisms for their implementation to solve employment problems in Ukraine’s agriculture.

The purpose of this research was to assess the development potential of cities and municipalities in Wałbrzych County, approached from the perspective of social, economic and environmental potential. Comparisons were performed for the periods 2002–2004 and 2016–2018. The following problem questions were formulated in the study: Which strategic goals can currently act as incentives for taking action in the analysed post-industrial areas, and for which ones should development be particularly strengthened? What development direction should be taken by individual municipalities in Wałbrzych County? The research covering the development potential of the municipalities was conducted using the multidimensional analysis method, and the similarities in municipal potential were analysed taking into account a comparison of distances between individual diagnostic variables. Among the analysed municipalities, in terms of social, economic and environmental potential, Szczawno-Zdrój and Czarny Bór achieved the best results, and Boguszów Gorce ranked the worst. In some municipalities, a noticeable increase in social potential (Jedlina-Zdrój, Mieroszów, Walim) or economic potential (Jedlina-Zdrój) was observed, and a significant decline in economic potential in Stare Bogaczowice was seen. As a result of the research, the following was established: the policies of municipal authorities have to focus on improving the living conditions of residents; the crucial factors are opening new jobs, providing appropriate living conditions and services and offering diverse sports and tourism options. Efforts should be made to take advantage of the inherent potential in the area, also by highlighting the preserved post-industrial buildings and constructions.

The recognition of changes in the course of agricultural thermal periods is vital when it comes to determining appropriate measures for adapting agriculture to climate change. The present study examined changes in air temperature between 1951 and 2014 in the area of south-western Poland. A statistically significant, positive linear trend was confirmed for the annual average temperature, seasonal averages, and monthly averages in the periods spanning February–May and July–August. From the beginning of the 21st century, the period of winter dormancy of plants started increasingly later; farming and plant vegetation periods started increasingly earlier, and the period of active plant growth was prolonged. Among the considered agricultural periods, the growing season was the most prolonged. The duration of the farming period was also significantly longer, but the winter dormancy period was shortened. The negative linear trend of days when the temperature stood at <0 °C was statistically confirmed for temperature in the entire region and most of the stations. In terms of predicting the consequences of the changes that were observed today over the next decades, this is not an easy task. However, the nature of these changes suggests that further cultivation of winter crops may require far-reaching adaptation measures.