Milk, as one of the basic raw materials of animal origin, must be of adequate hygienic and physicochemical quality for processing. The aim of the article was to compare the quality of raw milk from three production systems, intensive, traditional (together referred to as conventional), and organic, as material for processing, as well as the quality of products made from it. Particular attention was focused on hygienic quality (somatic cell count and total bacterial count), physical characteristics (acidity), basic nutritional value (content of dry matter, total protein, casein, fat, and lactose), content of health-promoting substances (whey proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals), and technological parameters (rennet clotting time, heat stability, and protein-to-fat ratio). Research assessing the quality of organic milk and dairy products is significantly less extensive (if available at all) than for milk from conventional production (intensive and traditional). The available reports indicate that raw milk from organic farms is more valuable, especially in terms of the content of health-promoting compounds, including vitamins, fatty acids, whey proteins, and minerals. This applies to organic dairy products as well, mainly cheese and yoghurt. This is explained by the fact that organic farming requires that animals are kept in the pasture. However, the hygienic quality of the raw milk, and often the products as well, raises some concerns; for this reason, organic milk producers should be supported in this regard, e.g., through consultancy and training in Good Hygienic Practices. Importantly, milk production in the traditional and organic systems is in line with the concept of the European Green Deal.

Several studies conducted in various countries have addressed the technical efficiency of dairies. However, there is a paucity of research on the technical efficiency of dairies in Poland, particularly in relation to their legal form (i.e., cooperatives vs. non-cooperatives). The existing literature also does not provide insights into the technical efficiency of these entities with respect to different regions’ milk production capacity. Therefore, this paper aims to: (1) evaluate and compare the technical efficiency of cooperative and non-cooperative dairies in Poland, and (2) examine dairies’ technical efficiency due to spatial disparities in milk production potential. We use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to investigate the technical efficiency of 108 dairies in Poland for the year 2019. The milk production capacity of provinces is examined by applying the zero unitarization method. The results show that when assuming constant returns to scale (CRS), dairy cooperatives are less technically efficient than non-cooperatives, whereas when assuming variable returns to scale (VRS), these differences are not statistically significant. For inefficient dairies, we observe the greatest potential for improvement in labor costs and depreciation. Both cooperatives and non-cooperatives operate mostly under decreasing returns to scale. Thus, the potential for enhancing the technical efficiency of dairies through the consolidation process seems to be exploited. Our findings reveal that the technical efficiency of dairies in Poland is not differentiated by regional milk production potential.

Purpose: Global demand for organic milk products gives an opportunity to Polish organic farmers and dairies to supply national, European Union and international milk markets. The purpose of this paper is to review the historic and contemporary changes in organic milk production and processing in Poland, in order to identify the main factors of influence and to propose the direction of future market and policy development in the sector. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, secondary data from a range of literature sources and databases are analysed. The Lorenz’s concentration ratio is applied to the data derived to evaluate the degree of concentration of certified organic farms in the different regions of Poland and conclusions are drawn as a result. Findings: Organic dairy farm operations in Poland are small scale and territorially dispersed. Although there is some evidence of growing supply concentration, Polish processors of organic milk face multiple barriers to development not least a lack of continuity of supplies. Whilst global markets are of interest, the development of alternative, innovative food networks in Poland that focus on provenance, integrity and promoting the special health benefits of organic milk would be of value to the sector, but further cooperation and integration is essential to take advantage of these market opportunities. Originality/value: This research underpins the need for appropriate national policies in Poland for the development and actualisation of a dynamic organic milk supply system that delivers value to local, regional and international markets.

During the pandemic, health and environmental issues were re-evaluated, stimulating interest in organic food. Organic milk is more beneficial than conventional milk in terms of the health-promoting substances (e.g., vitamins, fatty acids), particularly regarding its protein and lipid fractions. Poland is the main producer of cow’s milk in the EU, but only 0.2% of this production is organic. To identify the antecedents and obstacles to increasing organic milk production in Poland, the aim of this study is to explore the low level of organic cow’s milk output in Poland compared with sector leaders in the EU. We analyzed statistics on milk production, including unpublished data collected by the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection, Poland, with the use of descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. Over the period 2010–2020, the number of farms producing and selling organic milk and the number of farms with organic pastures and meadows decreased significantly in Poland. A limited number of certified farms sell their milk as organic. If all production of organic milk was sold as organic, the supply would have increased by 56% in 2020. Organic milk processing is highly concentrated which is an obstacle to the development of organic milk farming. Due to its high instability and the spatial differences in the locations of sellers (producers) and buyers (processors) and inconsistent production volumes, the supply of organic cow’s raw milk does not meet the demand from Polish dairies. Cooperation between producers and processors is essential. Providing organic dairy farms with production and market advice, as well as technical support, is crucial for the development of farms and the organic milk sector as a whole, as is, to a certain extent, evidenced by Austria. The specific nature of the raw milk market requires the procurement of organic milk on a lasting basis regarding guarantees of purchase and farmgate prices. In this way, the continuity of organic raw milk supply would be secured and the sector of organic dairy products should grow.

W artykule dokonano oceny bezpieczeństwa żywnościowego produktów mleczarskich w Polsce w najważniejszym jej wymiarze, tj. dostępności żywności. Dominującą rolę w przetwórstwie mleka w Polsce zajmują spółdzielnie mleczarskie. Stanowią 62% wszystkich mleczarni w kraju, mając udział w skupie mleka na poziomie 72%. Dlatego nowym ujęciem w powyższych rozważaniach jest uwzględnienie roli spółdzielni. Zakres czasowy pracy obejmuje okres po transformacji gospodarki, a szczegółowe dane o asortymencie badanych mleczarni lata 2013 i 2017, ze względu na dostęp do porównywalnych danych z raportów mleczarskich. W badaniach wykorzystano także dane GUS i IERiGŻ-PIB. Polska od 1990 r. znacząco zwiększyła samowystarczalność w zakresie produkcji mleka i produktów mleczarskich. Potencjał produkcyjny polskiego rolnictwa i przetwórstwa wystarcza do wyprodukowania mleka i jego przetworów zapewniających odpowiedni poziom wyżywienia ludności w kraju. Pomimo spadku liczby spółdzielni mleczarskich są one dominującą formą w przetwórstwie mleka. W każdym województwie występują spółdzielnie mleczarskie. Większość spółdzielni mleczarskich (ponad 62%) oferuje szeroki asortyment wyrobów mleczarskich (od pięciu do ośmiu rodzajów produktów), ale jest to wyraźnie mniejszy udział niż kilka lat temu (74%). Rośnie specjalizacja spółdzielni i już prawie co trzecia oferuje nie więcej niż cztery produkty. Większość mleczarni oferujących najpopularniejszy mleczarski asortyment tj. mleko płynne, sery świeże, śmietanę, masło i napoje mleczne to spółdzielnie mleczarskie (od 71% do 83%). W przypadku innych wyrobów ich udział jest mniejszy (od 44% do 71%). W każdym województwie znajdują się zakłady spółdzielcze produkujące podstawowe artykuły mleczarskie. Zapewnienie dostępności fizycznej do produktów mleczarskich, a także trwały dostęp do żywności w każdym regionie kraju gwarantują spółdzielnie mleczarskie.

The aim of the work was to find an answer to the question of how the changes in the milk production sector in Poland, following the marketization of the economy, influenced the country’s food security in the context of food self-sufficiency. The paper uses cow milk balances developed by the Central Statistical Office and data concerning the distribution of domestic milk production from the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics National Research Institute. The study used a comparative analysis over time, indicators as well as descriptive and graphic methods. The indicators used concerned milk market output, food self-sufficiency and the milk balance structure. During the first few years of transformation, there was a sharp drop in domestic milk production. Since 2004, there has been, with minor exceptions, a systematic increase in production with a previous general fall in production volume. These processes were accompanied by changes resulting from the transformation of the economy in the milk production sector. These were associated with a drastic reduction, since 1990, of the number of farms involved in milk production and the decline in the number of dairy cows, albeit with a simultaneous increase in milk yield. The milk market output index increased. In 2015, resource in the milk balance returned to the level of 1991, i.e. over 14.5 bln liters. In 2017, this figure amounted to 15 bln liters. Domestic milk production is the main source of resource, though the volume of imports is significantly increasing. Despite dynamic growth of exports, milk is mainly used for domestic consumption. From 1990 onwards, Poland has significantly improved its self-sufficiency in milk production. Changes in milk production have significantly influenced food security in the country.