Poland has long been famous for its rich culinary tradition, and its food products are becoming more and more popular not only on the domestic market, but also abroad. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of exported food products, which proves the growing reputation of Polish food in the international arena. What makes the "made in Poland" label appear in Europe and around the world, and what does the increase in Polish food exports look like in the statistical data?
The result of many factors
One of the key factors that contributed to increasing the export of Polish food is the increasing quality of the products offered. Polish farms are increasingly investing in modern technologies and production processes, which translates into higher quality of raw materials and finished products. At the same time, there is no shortage of producers who practice traditional and ecological agriculture, thanks to which they also find customers not only in the country, but also abroad.
Additionally, Polish producers are trying to meet the expectations of customers around the world by offering an increasing variety of food products. The offer includes traditional Polish specialties, such as sausages and pierogi, but also increasingly organic, vegetarian and functional products adapted to special dietary needs. In addition to ready-made products, there is considerable interest in Polish vegetables, grain, meat and dairy products.
Apart from the positive opinion (and, of course, excellent taste), Polish food is supported by the effective promotion of food products on international markets. Government agencies and industry organizations actively support Polish producers in promoting their products abroad, organizing participation in fairs, presentations and marketing campaigns. Additionally, Polish food brands are gaining importance in international competitions and rankings, which attracts the attention of foreign customers.
Victories in rankings and plebiscites are combined with official recognition of the high standards of Polish food. Polish producers must comply with rigorous standards (resulting from both EU and national regulations), which translates into high quality of products. Additionally, economic factors make Polish food relatively cheap, and therefore exceptionally attractive to foreign customers!
Polish food distributors – high quality of services
Polish food producers and distributors know that in order to attract customers (both domestic and foreign), they must offer them not only an extensive and attractively priced offer, but also an extensive range of services. Many Polish food wholesalers enable cooperation via the Internet, offering customers additional logistics and transport services, which only facilitates cooperation and delivery of goods to the destination.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the export of Polish food products. In 2022, the value of food exports from Poland amounted to EUR 47.6 billion, 26.7 percent. more than in 2021. This was another record result in the history of Polish food exports.
The main reasons for the increase in food exports from Poland are:
- Growing demand for Polish products on foreign markets. Polish food is known for its high quality and affordable price. This is especially important in the context of rising food prices around the world.
- Increased competitiveness of Polish food producers. Polish food producers compete more and more effectively with producers from other countries. This is thanks to investments in modern technologies and innovations, as well as thanks to integration with the European Union.
- Food export support policy. The Polish government runs a number of programs supporting food exports, such as export promotion programs, training for entrepreneurs and subsidies for participation in international fairs.
Moreover, Polish exports experienced changes related to the war situation in Ukraine. Due to military operations, supplies of grain and other food products from Ukraine were reduced, which meant that importers previously cooperating with Kiev had to look for new suppliers - many of them turned to Poland due to the favorable prices and high quality of the products offered.
Main export directions
The largest recipients of Polish food products in Europe are Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Great Britain and France [5]. In 2022, the share of these countries in total food exports from Poland was 50.8%. In turn, the most important export products from Poland include:
- Meat and meat products - in 2022, the value of exports of meat and meat products from Poland amounted to EUR 10.3 billion.
- Dairy products - in 2022, the value of exports of dairy products from Poland amounted to EUR 6.4 billion.
- Fruit and vegetables - in 2022, the value of fruit and vegetable exports from Poland amounted to EUR 5.5 billion.
- Bread and bakery products - in 2022, the value of exports of bread and bakery products from Poland amounted to EUR 4.2 billion.
- Sweets - in 2022, the value of sweets exports from Poland amounted to EUR 3.7 billion.
What does export look like in 2023?
What are the prospects for Polish exports in 2023? Will it maintain the upward trend that has been noticeable in recent years? Although it is still too early for a final summary of the year, some conclusions can already be drawn based on observations.
In 2023, Poland's specialty in food exports will be dairy products and fruit. The largest share here is, of course, the famous Polish apples - the annual export value of Polish apples is approximately EUR 150-160 million. It will probably not be smaller in 2023, despite some negative global trends. A general decline in the supply of apples can be noticed. However, Polish producers manage to compensate for the losses through new export destinations, such as India and South American countries.
Exports to India are growing by far the fastest. In 2020/2021 it was approximately 4.5 thousand. tons of apples, while in 2022 it exceeded 27 thousand. tone. On the one hand, the lower level of exports in 2020/2021 could have been influenced by the coronavirus pandemic and related transport restrictions, on the other - such a sharp increase in exports indicates that Polish apples are a product that has been well received on the Indian market.
In the case of Polish exports to South America, it is more difficult to estimate trends because it is a completely new market. Nevertheless, Polish producers have already paved the first trade routes to sales markets in Colombia and Costa Rica. In addition to these new directions, Polish apples and dairy products reach "regular" customers, including Egypt, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In the longer term, the markets in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam seem attractive to Polish exporters.
A favorable situation for Polish exporters is currently created by global transport rates - especially ocean transport (which is related to decreasing exports from China). The dairy industry is particularly positively affected by this, as the availability and affordability of refrigerated containers has increased significantly.
Summary
Despite certain difficulties and trends on global markets, it is expected that the export of Polish food products will continue to grow in the coming years. This is related to the continuing demand for Polish products on foreign markets (mainly fruit and dairy products), as well as the further development of the Polish economy.
Food exports have a positive impact on the Polish economy. In 2022, the share of food exports in Poland's GDP was 2.3%. Food exports generate jobs, increase state budget revenues and contribute to economic growth, which is why they receive significant support from government institutions. Polish exports will certainly remain at a high level if the quality of food products combined with the price offer remains competitive and actions are taken (both at the state and business levels) to maintain regular customers and enter completely new markets with Polish products. markets.