On occasion of the Polish Food Day on Aug. 25, Minister of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski explained that agriculture is a vital element of economic development as it ensures food security, especially during a pandemic.
“If Poland has food security, then it can start thinking about military or health security,” he pointed out.
The minister believes that the world is not currently facing a food production issue, but a food division one, as the planet is capable of feeding a rapidly increasing population.
He warned that wasting food is currently a huge problem in production, trade and ordinary shopping and that 30 percent of food is wasted in the world.
Ardanowski emphasized that Poland shares its food with the world, as the country produced much more food than Poles are able to consume.
That is why 80 percent of produced beef, 60 percent of poultry and 40 percent of dairy, as well as massive sums of vegetables and fruit, are exported from Poland.
He stressed that the pandemic had greatly complicated international trade due to breaking up delivery and supply chains, yet the situation was improving.
“Annually, we export for over €34 billion, and we want to maintain that position,” the minister said, adding that much points to Poland remaining a large agricultural exporter.
Ardanowski noted that while Poland is a large agricultural country, it cannot rival some other states in terms of overall food production. He explained that this is why Polish production is based on quality, not quantity.
“Today is the National Polish Food Day! Let’s celebrate it by preparing traditional Polish meals using our incredible Polish products of the highest quality. Enjoy your meal!” the Polish ministry of agriculture posted on Twitter.
Dziś #DzieńPolskiejŻywności‼️
Uczcijmy go przygotowując tradycyjny polski posiłek, z wykorzystaniem wspaniałych, polskich produktów najwyższej jakości ???????????? Życzymy smacznego‼️ pic.twitter.com/VmdFV99Fjv
— Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi (@MRiRW_GOV_PL) August 25, 2020
The minister of agriculture also referred to the issue of food security, saying that even mass-produced cheap food must be safe. He said he will focus on strengthening the position of farmers in the so-called food chain, which will be achieved through fair division of profit margins between traders, processors, distributors, and farmers, who are the ultimate producer in the chain.
Ardanowski added that actions to shorten the distance from farmers to consumers are also being undertaken, which will be partially accomplished by facilitating opportunities for farmers to sell directly to consumers.
