The milk market in the European Union (EU) is adjusting rapidly to the removal of dairy quotas. The most important changes include increased milk yield per cow, increased total milk production, decreased number of cows, and the decreased milk consumption. The main aim of the paper is to examine the milk production changes in the EU. We investigated the dynamics of changes in farm milk production during the period from 1998–2017 in the EU. Moreover, we investigated the impact of the removal of quotas on the production of milk on farms in the EU countries for the period from 2015–2017. Milk production in the EU increased from 151 million tons in 1998 to 165 million tons in 2017 (a 10% increase). A multi-variate regression model was to test which explanatory variables have an impact on milk production in the EU. The most important factors were a gross domestic product, final household consumption expenditure (current prices, million euro), and population (number).

Biogas is a renewable energy source (RES). The aim of this research was to analyze the perspectives of electricity production from biogas in the European Union. The main source of information was data from Eurostat. We analyzed electricity production from biogas in the European Union (EU). The scope of this research was data from 2012 to 2021. First, we presented biogas production by feedstock type across the world. Then, we presented changes in electricity production from biogas in the EU. We used different methods to evaluate the changes in biogas production. First, we used the ARiMA (Autoregressive Moving Average) model to evaluate the stationarity of the time series. Our electricity production from biogas data proved to be stationary. Second, we elaborated on the prognosis of future changes in electricity production from biogas. The largest producer of biogas is the EU, and it is produced from crops, animal manure, and municipal solid waste. Our research found that the largest production from biogas in 2021 took place in Germany, Italy, and France. These countries have the greatest potential for electricity production from biogas, and they have spent significant funds on facilities and technology. Such countries as Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Finland, and Sweden increased their electricity production from biogas in 2021 compared to 2020. According to our prognosis, the global production of biogas will increase from 62.300 TWh to 64.000 TWh in 2019–2026 (2.7% increase). In 2022–2026, such countries as Estonia (60.4%), Latvia (29.6%), Croatia (27.6%), Slovenia (10.9%), and Poland (8.2%) will increase their electricity production from biogas the most. In 2022–2026, such countries as Italy (0.68%), Portugal (1.1%), Greece (1.5%), Slovakia (2.3%), and Germany (2.6%) will increase their electricity production from biogas the least. Only Romania (−17.6%), Finland (−11.5%), Lithuania (−9.1%), and Malta (−1.06%) will decrease their production of electricity from biogas in 2022–2026. Such countries as Bulgaria (2344%), Denmark (590.9%), Croatia (449%), and France (183%) increased biogas consumption in 2013–2022. A decrease in the inland consumption of biogas in 2013–2022 was observed in Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Austria, and Slovenia.

Poland is a big user of fossil fuels for electricity and heat production. The most important fossil fuel is hard, brown coal and the Polish energy system is based on this source. However, the world has begun to decarbonize the climate and reduce the carbon dioxide and methane which are the main gasses impacting climate change. The main aim of this paper was to recognize changes in Polish coal sector. We focused our attention to the economic situation and employment in coal sector in Poland. The time rage included 1989–2020 and the prognosis 2021–2025. The Polish coal sector faced dramatic changes. The number of hard coal mines decreased from 70 in 1990 to 21 in 2020. In the same timeframe, the prices for hard coal increased from 12.37 PLN/dt to 313.27 PLN/dt. The employment decreased from more than 350 thousand to less than 100 thousand people in hard coal mines. The decrease changes are the effect of strict policies of the European Union. The economic situation of Polish hard coal mines is rather poor. Polish mines achieved negative economic results due to the effect of poor management. We used advanced statistics, including the Augmented Dickey–Fuller test (ADF), to measure the stationarity of analyzed time series. We also used Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models and conducted a prognosis. Our research proved that the time series describing the hard coal economic situation were not stationary. The Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models confirmed big changes in Polish coal sector economic results. The elaborated prognosis of variables proved that the price of hard coal will increase in 2021–2025. Moreover, the economic situation will be worse. Our analysis confirmed that global trends of the hard coal sector were influenced by the European Union (EU) energy policy and closing down the mines. The economic situation of Polish hard coal sector worsened.

Dairy farms have been under pressure to reduce negative environmental impacts while remaining profitable during times with volatile milk and commodity prices. Double cropping has been promoted to reduce negative environmental impacts and increase total dry matter yield per hectare. Three dairy farms that double cropped winter annuals and corn were selected from northern and western Pennsylvania. Data were collected from recorded crop and dairy records and financial data for 2016 and 2017. Farms ranged in size from 336 to 511 ha with 233 to 663 cows. Data were used to set parameters for the Integrated Farm System Model, which was then used to simulate 8 scenarios for each farm: current operation; 0, 50, and 100% of corn hectares double cropped; 30% feed price increase with and without double cropping; and 30% feed price decrease with and without double cropping at the farm's current level of double cropping. A 20-yr time period, using weather data that was representative of the actual farms, was used in the Integrated Farm System Model simulation to produce both financial and environmental outputs. Double cropping winter annuals and corn silage increased dry matter yield per hectare by 19%, when comparing 0 to 100% of the corn area double cropped. With all corn land double cropped, net return to management per hundredweight (45.36 kg) of milk increased by 1.8%, N leached per hectare per year decreased by an average of 4.5%, and phosphorus loss was reduced by an average of 9.2% across farms. When feed prices increased by 30%, double cropping increased net return over feed cost and net return to management by 1.6 and 2.2%, respectively, across farms. When feed prices decreased by 30%, double cropping decreased net return over feed cost and net return to management by smaller amounts of 0.13% and 0.11%, respectively, across farms. Modeling indicated that double cropping winter annuals with corn silage can have both environmental and economic benefits when winter-annual silage yields are enough to cover expenses.

The aim of this study was to present factors shaping biodiesel production in Poland influenced by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU). The performance of Polish biodiesel producers was analyzed. A regression model was built to identify the factors that impacted biodiesel production in Poland. The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) was the main source of information about Polish biodiesel farmers. The FADN is the most comprehensive and detailed source of economic and agricultural data in Poland. Changes in the number of biodiesel producers in the Polish market were analyzed with the use of indicators. In the last stage of the study, the impact of selected variables on the performance of rapeseed farms was determined in a regression analysis. The second source of information was Eurostat data, which provided information about pure biodiesel production in the European Union (EU) countries from 2004 to 2019. The biggest producers of pure biodiesel in the European Union are Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Poland is also an important producer of biodiesel in the European Union (EU). Both descriptive statistics and statistical analyses are presented. First, we used descriptive statistics to present changes in pure biodiesel production in the European Union. Second, we used statistical analyses to present factors shaping the economic performance of biodiesel producers in Poland. The study demonstrated that the number of rapeseed producers in Poland has increased and that farm performance has improved during the period analyzed. Rapeseed farms have increased their land area and the value of fixed and current assets. The land area under rapeseed cultivation has increased after Poland joined the EU, which suggests a positive response to a growing demand for biofuels.