Most of the European countries favour the utilisation of renewable resources – mainly biomass – for energy purposes. Secondary products as energy resources have become more valuable, the production of energy crops has begun. Annual natural gas consumption in Hungary is about 15 billion m3; the country imports ca. 11–12 m3 of natural gas every year that costs 1000 billion HUF (3.7 billion EUR). We could save considerable sum of this money for the country, if we use local power supply to minimise gas import and modernise the buildings energetically. A possible solution to this problem can be the solid biomass-based decentralised (local, small-scale energy generation in several places) energy supply. High-efficiency wood chip burning combustion equipments are suitable for large consumers (e.g.: settlements, public institutions, industrial and agricultural buildings), while pellet or briquette burning systems are ideal for small consumers and households. The paper analyses the economic and social aspects of woodchips based district-heating on the examples of heating plants in Hungary.

The Food and Beverage Industry is an attractive and a leading sector in Bulgarian industry. The Bulgarian Food and Beverage Industry (BFBI) has traditionally been an export-oriented. The biggest importer of food and beverages in Bulgaria is Brazil, followed by Russia, China and India. Continual increase of trade relations importance with BRIC countries, especially in food and beverages, has significant impact on the sectors dynamics. The paper aims to analyze the industrial dynamics of the Food and Beverage Industry in Bulgaria and the role of trade relations with BRIC countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China, on it. Bulgarians’ trade balance with these countries is negative. To overcome these negative trends for the sector it is necessary to increase the competitiveness production, and to rely on quality and standardized production, for development of new market niches.

The paper presents the outcomes of the analysis of labour and profitability in micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of EU countries. The analysis is based on the data provided by the EC Enterprise and Industry, covering the year 2008. According to the outcomes of regression analysis, the most important factors influencing SME profitability include: the productivity of expenses, the level of labour involvement in production, the share of added valuein incomes and labour costs. The most important factors influencing labour efficiency in the SME sector include: labour equipment and the shares of added value and production in incomes.

The paper presents results of studies on the adjustment process of farms to market economy requirements. Trends of change were analyzed on the basis of a case study. The owner of the farm under analysis made significant changes in the farming production means and resources between 2005 and 2010, namely his actions showed a high tendency to concentrate land ownership. He also systematically invested in farming equipment and buildings, adapting their capabilities to the growing demands on farming requirements, organizational changes and technological developments. An important role in financing such activities was played by the supply of external capital, both in the form of preferential loans and EU funding and subsidies. The analysis of the farmer’s behaviour patterns ranks him as one of the most dynamic agricultural entrepreneurs, among the group of farmers who have sufficient resources to meet the demands of competition and stay in the market. They can act strategically, properly combining the internal potential with the opportunities created by the changing environment.

The authors have attempted to analyze the stability of investment strategy of the Polish open-ended funds, which invest assets in global markets. The study covered the period from 2006 to 2010, which also contain a period of financial crisis. The analysis was performed by statistical methods which use a regression line, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and contingency table. All three methods are based on alpha coefficients of the characteristic lines of funds taken as measures of active investment policy of the managers. For the purposes of study, the authors have constructed market factor based on the indexes of the largest stock exchanges. The results were compared with those obtained earlier for the Polish market and equity funds.

The aim of the survey was to conduct evaluation of functioning of the system of agricultural structural pensions in Poland (on the base of the secondary data originating from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and the process of application for the structural pension from the perspective of the beneficiary (own survey). The questionnaire based survey covered 59 agricultural farms in Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodship and 26 farms from Ciechanów County (Mazowieckie voivodship).

This article contains an analysis of the concept of entrepreneurship in the context of conducting an agrotourist activity. The Author, based on the results of empirical studies carried out in family agrotourist farms in Międzychodzki Poviat (Wielkopolskie Region), presents a possible process of family agrotourist farms transformation into business entities providing agrotourist services. She defines the concept of the family agrotourist farms a farm providing agrotourist services as a secondary revenue-generating activity while not conducting business activity in the sphere of providing services for tourists. The article confirms the proposed thesis that family agrotourist farms belong to a specific group of ‘entities’ which are alike in the sphere of personal strategy and succession, structure and organizational culture.

The article presents the basic premises and particular determinants of measuring intellectual capital in farms. It discusses the assumptions of the measurement and the framework of the research method. It presents the assertions describing the particular elements of intellectual capital, i.e. human capital, organisational capital and market capital. Key issues relating to each of these are characterised. The paper also includes a hint that intellectual capital is strictly linked with the local environment as well as the broadly understood quality of human capital in rural areas.

The aim of this paper was to examine the average price of toothpastes available on Polish cosmetic market in order to asses used pricing strategies by several large and medium international and domestic toothpastes’ producers. The 8 leading cosmetics market participants include: Procter&Gamble (Blend-a-med), Colgate-Palmolive (Colgate, Colodent, Flurodent), Unilever (Signal), Henkel (Vademecum, Denivit), GlaxoSmithKline (Aquafresh, Parodontax, Sensodyne), GABA International (Elmex, Meridol, Biodent), Church&Dwight (Pearls Drops) and Dr. Theiss Naturwaren (Lacalut). Polish cosmetics market is a very large, and because of the ongoing battle to hold on loyal but at the same time win new clients, a profitable one. Strong inside competition on domestic market broadens and expands the range and diversity of cosmetic products. Toothpastes’ producers act in the highly crowded and fragmented marketplace. There is a large presence of both branded and private label companies. Major players seek to position their products on the basis of value addition, functionality, price premium and to a certain extent packaging. Polish consumers increasingly expect high-quality cosmetics at relatively low prices. That is the main reason why the examination of used pricing strategies is so important and taken under deep consideration in this article. The results showed that dominant strategies are: penetration pricing, loss leader, price leadership, psychological pricing as well as bundling and quantity discounts strategy.

The aim of the paper is to assess importance of the relationship, at various levels of its intensity, between farmers and the institutional environment of agriculture for farm development. The data source derives from the results of questionnaire surveys conducted among farmers – owners of agricultural holdings in the south-east of Poland, i.e. the area of Świętokrzyskie, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie provinces. The research results demonstrated that the degree of intensity of farmers` interactions with institutions is directly linked to resources, organization of the production process and the production performance of the agricultural holdings. High intensity of farmer-institutions interactions facilitates the process of introduction of changes in agricultural holdings with the use of the European Union fi nancial support. However, the rule applies mainly to the larger-in-size and economically stronger holdings and may consequently lead to growing polarization of farms in the highly fragmented structure of agricultural holdings in the south-east of Poland.

The paper presented the contemporary situation of the Polish fruit growers. There was displayed an increasing area of fruit production, reaching 331 thousand of hectares in 2009. The attention was paid to domination of apple trees in a structure of varieties, especially such varieties as: Idared, Lobo, Cortland. Moreover, there was presented an income situation of farms with permanent crops (including fruit growers) on the base of the aggregated data of Farm Accountancy Data Network – FADN. There was noticed decrease in average farm income in these group of farms, from 37 thousand zlotys in 2007 to 16 thousand zlotys in 2009 resulting from a smaller value of production and increase in total costs. There was also indicated that income of farmers conducting permanent crops was lower than gained in farms of mixed type of farming.

Strategic planning is one of a very important areas of local government. Prepared strategic documents facilitate the efficient carrying out community development policy. The most commonly prepared planning documents are: development strategies, long-term financial plans, long-term investment plans, plans of local development and village development plans. The article pointed out the large variations among municipalities in the implementation of the strategic management tools. It also stressed that to ensure the usefulness of strategic plans for the creation of local economic development is necessary to take into account the stage of their preparation for specific problems to be solved. The basis for the formulation of strategic plans of municipalities should be bottom-up initiatives. It should not be the administrative necessity of their possession.