Bezpieczeństwo żywnościowe Polski i jej mieszkańców w okresie przedakcesyjnym i po akcesji do Unii Europejskiej
Food security of Poland and its inhabitants during the pre-accession and after accession period to the European Union

Summary/Abstract: food security; self-sufficiency; structure; level; consumptionThe aim of the study was to determine the status and direction of changes in food security of Poland and its inhabitants during the pre-accession and post-accession period to the European Union, and in particular to define the concept, types of food security and the conditions for its fulfillment, to characterize the level of consumption of basic food products in the years 2000-2014 and to determine the level of food self-sufficiency of selected products, to assess the economic availability of food and the diversity of the Polish community in this regard, to determine the level of consumption of energy, its structure and basic nutrients for different socio-economic groups of households for the years 2001-2003 and 2012-2014. To ensure food security of the state, four conditions have to be met simultaneously: 1) physical availability of food, which means that the domestic food economy ensures the intake of at least the minimum physiological requirement, and import supplies more food than the minimum requirement, 2) stability and reliability of food supply, 3) economic availability of food, which is equivalent to the fact that the economically weakest households and their members have access to necessary food (thanks to various forms of food aid), 4) health suitability of a single food product and consumed ration (the necessary energy level, the proper ratio of nutrients, the lack of an inadmissible degree of pollution). Assessing the first condition for food security of Poland on the example of selected products, it was found that it was maintained with surplus with the exception of fruit. The question of durability and reliability of supply was rated on the basis of the functioning of the food chain. Having a positive balance of trade in agricultural products and foodstuffs (Poland has had it since 2003) provides the basis for the economic development of the durability and reliability of food supplies. Economic availability of food depends on obtaining a regular income and the level of disposable income per member of the family. It was found that the level of disposable income per 1 member of household was diverse; the highest in the households of the self-employed and the lowest in the households of farmers. In the analyzed period (2001-2003 to 2012-2014) disposable income increases, but not linearly, and the pace of these changes is uneven for different groups of households; is the highest in the households of farmers (213.7%) and the lowest in the households of employees (186.8%). It was found that the energetic value of diet had decreased. The highest value was found in households of pensioners, then in the households of farmers, and the lowest in the households of the self-employed. In all groups, the socio-economic value of the diet is at the level of recommended value (9200-11700 kJ) with the exception of farm workers and the self-employed in 2012-2014. The structure of this diet is unfortunately flawed because too much energy comes from fat and not enough from carbohydrates. Noteworthy is very high quality of food consumed.

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