In the face of growing climate, economic, and social challenges, an integrated strategy is required to ensure the resilience of food systems in vulnerable regions is strengthened. This study aims to formulate strategies for increasing food security in Mercosur countries amid extreme climate events and socio-economic and environmental crises. These strategies are based on an analysis of the following: (i) changes in food security levels (Global Food Security Index); (ii) self-sufficiency in major agricultural products; (iii) key economic and environmental drivers between 2012 and 2022; and (iv) an assessment of the effectiveness of public policies aimed at alleviating the effects of poverty and drought between 2022 and 2023. A SWOT analysis was conducted to identify the strengths and weaknesses of food systems, as well as the opportunities and threats facing Mercosur countries. Significant differences in food systems’ availability and resilience have been revealed by the results, and the need for integrated regional policies in the countries studied has been highlighted. Recommendations for the region include developing infrastructure and logistics; investing in research and innovation; combatting poverty and inequalities; adapting to the effects of climate change; promoting the local production of fertilisers and biofuels; and implementing coherent monitoring mechanisms (GFSI).

The aim of the study was to determine the complementarity of the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy in terms of their impact on the development of rural areas between 2021 and 2027. In their research, the authors paid particular attention to the distribution of support between the aforementioned policies in the context of social and economic problems occurring in rural areas. The empirical material consisted of literature on the subject and documentation related to the preparation and implementation of the analyzed policies. The analysis of documents, literature on the subject and practice indicates a growing need to demonstrate the complementarity of both policies in the process of programing individual development instruments, especially in the territorial dimension, where the separation of individual aspects of socio-economic life is extremely difficult, hence the need for a cross-sector approach, definition, and response to local challenges.

Globalisation, population growth, climate change, and energy-policy shifts have deepened interdependence between agri-food and energy systems, amplifying price volatility. This study examines the determinants of global wheat and corn price dynamics over 2000–2023, emphasising energy markets (oil and biofuels), agronomic and climatic factors, population pressure, and cross-market interdependencies. Using multiple linear regression with backward selection on annual global data from official sources (FAO, USDA, EIA and market series), we quantify the relative contributions of these drivers. The models explain most of the variation in world prices (R² = 0.89 for wheat; 0.92 for corn). Oil prices are a dominant covariate: a 1 USD/barrel increase in Brent is associated with a 1.33 USD/t rise in the wheat price, while a 1 USD/t increase in the corn price raises the wheat price by 0.54 USD/t. Lower biodiesel output per million people is linked to higher wheat prices (+0.67 USD/t), underscoring the role of biofuel supply conditions. We also document an asymmetric yield effect—higher yields correlate positively with wheat prices but negatively with corn—consistent with crop-specific market mechanisms. Although temperature and precipitation were excluded from the regressions due to collinearity, their strong correlations with yields and biofuel activity signal continuing climate risk. The contribution of this study lies in integrating energy, climate, and agricultural market factors within a single empirical framework, offering evidence of their joint role in shaping staple grain prices. These findings add to the literature on food–energy linkages and provide insights for sustainability policies, particularly the design of integrated energy–agriculture strategies and risk-management instruments to enhance resilience in global food systems.

W artykule podjęto próbę ocenienia zmiany warunków prowadzenia handlu produktami rolno-spożywczymi UE z Ukrainą po wejściu w życie umowy o SWH. Odnotowano wyraźny wzrost oszczędności ukraińskich eksporterów wskutek zniesienia barier handlowych. Analizowano intensywność handlu produktami rolno-spożywczymi między Ukrainą, Polską i UE wykorzystując wskaźnik Grubela-Lloyda. Ustalono, że większa część wymiany w sektorze rolno-spożywczym pomiędzy Ukrainą a UE odbywa się w ramach handlu wewnątrzbranżowego, a w poszczególnych grupach produktów istnieje tendencja do wzrostu intensywności handlu wewnątrzbranżowego, szczególnie w handlu pomiędzy Ukrainą i Polską. Na podstawie wyników przeprowadzonych obliczeń wskaźnika ujawnionych przewag komparatywnych według grup towarów SITC 0-1 ujawniono przewagi komparatywne w wymianie handlowej produktami rolno-spożywczymi zarówno Ukrainy z Polską i UE, jak Polski z Ukrainą i UE.

This study examines the impact of agribusiness corporations (large-scale agricultural enterprises) and family farms on the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas in Ukraine, and considers implications for SDG-aligned agri-food value chains that rely on stable access to sustainably produced raw materials. The research applies a multi-criteria decision analysis framework integrating economic, environmental and social indicators at the regional level. Using min–max normalisation, scoring and ranking methods, composite indices of economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, and sustainable rural development were constructed for 20 selected Ukrainian regions, and an integral sustainability index was calculated. Spearman’s rank correlation was applied to identify relationships between sustainability indicators and the structural characteristics of agricultural production. The results reveal pronounced interregional differentiation and an overall predominance of economic over environmental sustainability. Regions with a higher share of family farming demonstrate stronger environmental sustainability and more balanced development patterns, whereas dominance of large-scale enterprises is associated with adverse environmental effects. At the same time, relationships between farm structure and sustainable rural development are weak and not statistically significant, suggesting that social sustainability outcomes depend on more complex and context-dependent mechanisms beyond production scale alone. The findings highlight structural trade-offs between economic efficiency and environmental sustainability and underline the importance of regionally differentiated policy instruments. Strengthening support for family farms is identified as a promising mechanism for improving environmental performance and enhancing upstream conditions for sustainability-oriented sourcing and agri-food value chains.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that it is possible in Polish conditions to create one national quality system. One system allows for better recognition for all market stakeholders. It enables broader participation in the system for national and in future foreign entities. Such system also prevents an information chaos. A single system also common in the EU countries. Presentation of the foundations of the system in some EU countries is both the additional and actually a primary objective of this article.