The economic situation of EU dairy farms is unstable and differs strongly between member countries. Most studies addressing the EU’s agricultural sector focus on selected countries or selected groups of operators. Conversely, this paper seeks to determine the economic situation of dairy farms in EU countries grouped into types according to their production potential. The analysis relied on data collected and processed in the FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network). The farms were classified based on a hierarchical clustering routine. The agglomerative technique was used. Distances between clusters were calculated using the Ward’s method. In turn, the distance between countries was calculated as the Euclidean distance. This study enabled the identification of five different types of dairy farms in the EU. On an EU-wide basis, medium and large-sized highly specialized intensive farms play a key role in milk production. Despite their profitability being somehow restricted, they report high levels of labor productivity thanks to an advantageous production potential. In turn, an insufficient potential is among the main restrictions faced by other dairy farms in the EU; their advantageous financial indicators often fail to provide satisfactory levels of income which could drive investment and consumption opportunities.

The current global population growth forecast carries with it a global increase in demand for food. In order to meet this demand, it is necessary to increase production, which requires an increase in energy consumption. However, forecasted energy production growth is insufficient and traditional sources of energy are limited; hence, it is necessary to strive for greater energy efficiency in food production systems. The study aimed to compare the economic energy efficiency of food production systems in selected countries and identify the sources of diversification in this field. As a measure of energy efficiency, the indicators of the energy intensity of food production were used in this study. To calculate these indicators, a method based on input-output life-cycle assessment assumptions was used, which enables researchers to obtain fully comparable results between countries. The study showed that despite an increase in energy consumption in the food production systems of the analyzed countries by an average of 27%, from 19.3 EJ to 24.5 EJ, from 2000 to 2014, their energy intensity decreased, on average, by more than 18%, from 8.5 MJ/USD to 6.9 MJ/USD. This means that energy efficiency improvements are possible even under conditions of increased energy consumption, which in turn, means that food production can increase significantly. In the case of developed countries, the main inefficiencies are found in agricultural production, while in developing countries, they are observed in the food industry. Decision-makers should also pay attention to the high level of energy intensity that results from the supply of inputs to agriculture and the food industry because there is great potential for the improvement of energy efficiency in this field, especially because energy consumption associated with supply constitutes a major part of total consumption in the food production systems of developed countries.

The aim of the research presented in this paper is to assess the competitive potential of Polish agriculture (potential competitiveness) and the competitive position of the Polish agri-food sector on the Single European Market (SEM) with reference to the global context. The conducted research has proven that Polish agriculture, while having significant production potential (potential competitiveness) on a European scale, is at the same time characterized by the significant structural deficiencies of this potential, which may adversely affect he competitive position of Polish agriculture in the future. Poland's inclusion in the SEM area and the adoption of the rules of the Common Commercial Policy resulted in the creation and diversion of trade in agri-food products, and the comparative advantages achieved on the SEM became a source of favorable export specialization, allowing for relatively good use of the currently existing potential of agriculture and the food industry. This has resulted in the relatively good competitive position of the Polish agri-food sector on the SEM. However, in the long term, the ability to maintain or improve competitiveness in the future will be determined by competitive potential. The Polish agri-food sector has significant potential to increase exports and strengthen its competitive position (also on non-EU markets), provided that strong foundations for the sector are built, including an improvement in competitive potential.

W roku ubiegłym minęło 30 lat od początku polskiej transformacji i 15 lat od wstąpienia Polski do Unii Europejskiej. Obydwa procesy, tj. transformacja i integracja europejska, są z sobą ściśle powiązane, warunkiem polskiego członkostwa w Unii Europejskiej było bowiem wcześniejsze zaawansowanie transformacji ustrojowej. Procesem transformacji w sposób istotny objęte zostało m.in. rolnictwo. Jedną z cech gospodarek krajów postsocjalistycznych było ich „przeagraryzowanie”, które przejawiało się w nadmiernym udziale tego sektora w angażowaniu zasobów pracy i wytwarzaniu PKB. Transformacja w Polsce, podobnie jak w innych krajach, spowodowała radykalne zmiany struktury gospodarki narodowej i pozostawała w ścisłych zależnościach przyczynowo-skutkowych z procesami alokacji zasobów produkcyjnych i zmianami ekonomicznych warunków gospodarowania (wynikającymi głównie z relacji cenowych kształtowanych przez rynek oraz swobody wymiany gospodarczej z zagranicą). W pierwszych latach transformacji nastąpiła też prywatyzacja sektora państwowego w rolnictwie oraz rozpoczęły się przemiany strukturalne w rolnictwie indywidulnym. Przystąpienie Polski do UE przyspieszyło procesy zainicjowane w pierwszych latach transformacji ustrojowej, jednocześnie radykalnie wzrosły wsparcie i osłona tych przemian ze środków publicznych (z budżetu UE). Po akcesji nadal uwalniano z rolnictwa nieefektywne zasoby pracy, jednak proces ten zachodził wolno i nie we wszystkich latach. Objęcie polskiego rolnictwa przez WPR UE stworzyło warunki do wzrostu produkcji, a przede wszystkim dochodów rolniczych. Na możliwości podażowe istotnie wpłynęły transfery środków z budżetu UE. Rosnące nakłady inwestycyjne, będące wynikiem objęcia rolnictwa środkami II filaru WPR, pozwoliły zahamować procesy dekapitalizacji majątku trwałego w rolnictwie i umożliwiły modernizację rozwojowych gospodarstw rolnych. Na stronę popytową wpłynęło uczestnictwo w Jednolitym Rynku Europejskim, a szczególnie dynamiczny wzrost eksportu rolno-żywnościowego. Procesy te spowodowały wzrost wartości i wolumenu produkcji rolnej, a szczególnie dochodów rolnictwa, w znacznej mierze dzięki dotacjom otrzymywanym przez polskie rolnictwo z tytułu udziału w WPR.

The projected increase in the world’s population requires an increase in the production of edible energy that would meet the associated increased demand for food. However, food production is strongly dependent on the use of energy, mainly from fossil fuels, the extraction of which requires increasing input due to the depletion of the most easily accessible deposits. According to numerous estimations, the world’s energy production will be dependent on fossil fuels at least to 2050. Therefore, it is vital to increase the energy efficiency of production, including food production. One method to measure energy efficiency is the energy return on investment (EROI), which is the ratio of the amount of energy produced to the amount of energy consumed in the production process. The literature lacks comparable EROI calculations concerning global food production and the existing studies only include crop production. The aim of this study was to calculate the EROI of edible crop and animal production in the long term worldwide and to indicate the relationships resulting from its changes. The research takes into account edible crop and animal production in agriculture and the direct consumption of fossil fuels and electricity. The analysis showed that although the most underdeveloped regions have the highest EROI, the production of edible energy there is usually insufficient to meet the food needs of the population. On the other hand, the lowest EROI was observed in highly developed regions, where production ensures food self-sufficiency. However, the changes that have taken place in Europe since the 1990s indicate an opportunity to simultaneously reduce the direct use of energy in agriculture and increase the production of edible energy, thus improving the EROI.