“Poland as an attractive food producer and supplier” Report was presented in Lublin. The latest publication of PUŁAWY Competences Center was issued under the honorary patronage of the Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Fertilizers Europe.

Polish food is growing in popularity all over the world. Poland has been working for decades to become a leading exporter of agricultural and food produce. “Poland as an attractive food producer and provider”, a report by PUŁAWY Competences Center, suggests that our country may become the leading European centre of agricultural production and food processing.

The Head of the Catholic Church spoke about the challenges concerning food security at the 39th Session of the FAO Conference. It is worthwhile to discuss the contents of his speech, as it concerned agricultural manufacturers and global food security problems.

The share of processed food in our daily diet is on the increase. Convenience foods require shorter preparation time, but they contain more additives, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, taste enhancers – the substances the food industry relies on heavily.

Poland is one of the four countries in Europe where food security has increased since 2014. Let us take a look at the factors which led to the continued improvement of the country’s position in the ranking.

According to Eurostat data on food waste in Europe, as much as a few million of food is wasted in Poland each year! At present our country takes the 5th place on the list of EU nations wasting the most food. Only the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands are ahead of Poland in the ranking.

The following aspects of food security are the most commonly analyzed: affordability, availability and quality and safety. Affordability is defined as “the presence of adequate amount of food for the whole population at a given time, in order to provide sustenance”. Availability refers to unrestricted food supply on the market, while quality means that the food ensure a balanced and safe diet.

Let us take a look at research done by Mark Johnson from the University of British Columbia. Johnson and his team focused on the impact of city farming on urban water reserves. The results of this study have provided important arguments in the debate about urban farming, a trend which has been gaining popularity.

A discussion about food security in Poland ought to start from the laws and regulations currently in force in the country. At present, agricultural produce we consume may come from any place in the world. Consequently, it would be advisable for the regulations concerning food, which are becoming stricter and stricter, to be implemented consistently by suitable institutions and supervisory bodies.

“A billion people in the world suffer from undernourishment. Each year 10 million people starve to death. Each 6 seconds one child dies of starvation somewhere in the world. If we reduce food waste by 5%, 4 million people could be saved” – such pieces of information can be found on leaflets and posters from a public awareness campaign initiated in China in 2013 and aimed at reducing food waste. According to publications by Global food losses and food waste, the problem concerns many countries other than China, and it constitutes a challenge for their governments.