Economic and Ecological Aspects of the Operation of Food Processing Enterprises in Lubelskie Province

Abstract

The article, on one hand, presents the food industry's impact on the natural environment and, on the other hand, describes the results of efforts to analyse the food industry's outlays on investments connected with environmental protection, basing on research conducted with the help of questionnaires. The research covered the food processing enterprises of the Lubelskie province. The surveyed enterprises, which are dispersed and characterised by a high degree of fragmentation, have a strong influence on the level of pollution in the region. This compels the food sector's entities to engage in environmental projects. In the analysed period the value of the sector's pro-ecological investments grew four times. These investments were most frequently financed from the food industry's own resources which accounted for more than a half of the expended amounts. Investments in waste-water management and investments in the protection of waters have the highest share in the structure of implemented pro-ecological ventures — both in terms of quantity and value. A division of the investments by type shows, however, that "end-of-pipe" investments, that is investments which limit the emission of the generated pollutants, are still dominating.