This paper aimed at evaluating the level of sustainability in agriculture in 28 member states of the European Union. The surveys were carried out based on a synthetic technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS)-based measure. This method synthesizes factors of various nature and assigns them a synthetic aggregate measure. The analysis made it possible to develop a ranking of EU member states according to a differentiated level of measures and assign them to one of four groups characterized by different levels of sustainability in agriculture. The group of member states representing the highest level of sustainability in agriculture included two countries from Central and Eastern Europe, i.e., Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The group of countries with a greater than average level of sustainability comprised 14 member states of the European Union, including seven countries admitted to the community after 2004. The group with a low level of sustainability consisted of eight EU member states, six of them from the group of old EU member states, i.e., Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Denmark and the United Kingdom, and two new members, i.e., Romania and Slovenia. On the other hand, the lowest level of sustainability was characteristic of two “old EU” member states, i.e., The Netherlands and Belgium, and two “new EU” member states, i.e., Cyprus and Malta. The differentiated synthetic measure values showed disparities in the level of sustainability in agriculture among the member states of the European Union. They are a result of the varied level of development of this sector, production intensity and the resulting environmental impact.

Bioeconomy is a response of the European Union and its member states to global challenges such as ensuring food security, mandatory sustainable management of natural resources, mitigating climate change and reducing dependency on non-renewable resources. One of the sectors playing an important role in the development of bioeconomy is agriculture, which accounts for the largest part of biomass used as a raw material for producing bioproducts. This paper is an attempt to answer the following questions: What is the essence and significance of the bioeconomy sector in the EU? How significant is agriculture to the bioeconomy sector? What is the potential and competitiveness of agriculture in EU countries? Data used in surveys is sourced from the Data-Modelling platform of agro-economics research and covers the years 2008–2017. The position of agriculture in the bioeconomy was determined based on measures such as level of employment and gross value added (GVA), turnover, while its competitiveness was assessed based on labour productivity. The results of surveys showed that more than 50% of all bioeconomy workers were employed in agriculture. The sector produced nearly 30% GVA and had a more than 18% share in bioeconomy turnover. Member states of the European Union featured diverse agricultural potential. At the same time, the productivity of agriculture was one of the lowest in the bioeconomy sector. The importance of agriculture stems not only from its food function, but also from the production of biomass. However, its social function is equally important, and in the face of escalating environmental problems the function connected with reducing external costs and producing environmental public goods has become complementary.

The need to contain climate change and improve energy security has increased the interest in agricultural biomass as a renewable energy source (RES). Given the complexity of the issue of energy production and its environmental impact, the main objective of this study was to assess the significance and potential of the agriculture of the European Union Member States in terms of the capability of producing renewable energy. Using the multi-criteria TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method, we designed a synthetic measure based on several diagnostic characteristics for 2010–2021, obtaining a ranking for EU countries reflecting their agriculture’s RES potential. The research showed that the agricultural sectors with the highest potential for renewable energy production were in the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, and Hungary during the study period. Bulgaria, Denmark, and Spain joined this group in 2021. A comprehensive assessment was conducted using the TOPSIS method to identify the leaders and areas in need of support in leveraging the potential of agriculture for energy in the EU.

The aim of this article was to identify factors influencing the purchasing decisions of individual buyers represented by Polish doctors on the dairy product market, taking into account the demographic variable of the respondents’ age. This article is based on a survey conducted among 201 Polish doctors using the CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interview) method. The collected primary data was subjected to quantitative analysis, including both a description of general trends and the identification of differences in responses between distinct age categories of respondents, as well as the identification of hidden factor structures. Conducting a study with a group of doctors perceived as experts fills a research gap in the literature and makes an important contribution to the discussion on the factors shaping the purchasing behaviour of doctors as buyers. The research revealed differences in the assessment of the importance of motivators influencing purchasing decisions for dairy products between groups of doctors separated by age. Younger respondents (aged 27–44) attach greater importance to the influence of marketing activities at the point of sale and the health attributes of dairy products, while older respondents (aged 45 and over) attach greater importance to aspects related to trust and safety as well as consumer trends. Hidden (latent) factors influencing purchasing decisions in the surveyed age-based groups of doctors were also identified in comparison with the total number of respondents, and consumer segments were identified based on the similarity of factor profiles. The results of this study can be used both by companies in the dairy sector in the process of designing marketing strategies for dairy products and by institutions influencing public health.

Summary This paper presents an overview of the fruit supply chains in Poland, Spain, Greece, and the Netherlands. The roles of the different participants in the functioning of the fruit supply chains are presented, along with their quantitative characteristics. Although apple production was most popular in northern countries (i.e., Poland and The Netherlands), while in southern countries (i.e., Spain and Greece) citrus fruit (especially orange), grape, and peach production were most important, the participants along the fruit supply chains were the same in all cases: namely, research centres and seed companies, nurseries, fruit producers, co-operatives, fruit processors, wholesalers, retailers, and the food service sector. Any differences lay mainly in the level of concentration among participants at each stage of the fruit supply chains. Despite an ongoing process of consolidation, the fruit processing sector remains fragmented. There were only a small number of large enterprises that had a considerable position in multi-national markets, alongside a large number of much smaller entities that served local, regional, and national markets. With respect to product distribution in the fruit supply chains, the most characteristic feature was the increasing concentration of the retail trade.

The study aimed to address a research gap by identifying the factors that influence the purchasing decisions of individual Polish doctors in the dairy products market, with gender as a demographic variable. The primary data collection method was a survey, conducted using the CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) technique. The sample was selected using a purposive approach with elements of proportional territorial allocation. The survey involved 201 interviews with doctors from across Poland representing various fields of medical specialisation. The group of respondents surveyed is characterised by one of the highest levels of social trust. Conducting research among a professional group of doctors who are perceived as experts, whose knowledge is based on scientific evidence and many years of education, is an important contribution to the discussion on the factors that shape purchasing behaviour. The research confirmed the hypothesis that purchasing decisions in the dairy market are shaped by diverse factors. The study showed that the surveyed group of doctors most often makes purchasing decisions guided not only by health and quality values, but also by pragmatic ones, such as a product’s shelf life or availability in shops. The conducted research showed that differences between women and men representing the medical community in the assessment of factors influencing purchasing decisions in the dairy products market occur for 6 of the 26 variables assessed, thus one of the research hypotheses was only partially confirmed. Further research using principal component factor analysis made it possible to determine what hidden factors influence purchasing decisions among all respondents and groups distinguished by the demographic characteristic of gender, which allowed for the definition of customer segments.