The aim of the research was to identify the factors influencing consumption of organic food. In our research an attempt was made to find a method for identifying organic food and assessing the features ascribed to it by consumers. These features were then analyzed in terms of their technical and market attributes. The paper presents results of research conducted in 2005, 2010 and 2013 on the organic food market with special emphasis placed on pricing, distribution systems and consumers in the northeastern Poland. Respondents' answers indicate their increasing interest, knowledge and commitment to the environment. They also indicate that the most important technological attribute of organic food is its way of production, which ensures that the food is healthy, contains no chemical additives and has good, natural taste. Market attributes include the food's high nutritious value and naturalness, the producer's logo and price. Consumers buying organic food believe that the production and processing of food does not destroy the natural environment. Emphasizing the health and taste attributes of organic food is not enough, however, and it has to coincide with the consumer's behavior and proenvironmental bias, which become explicit in his choice of food.

Nitrogen fertilization combined with microelements is an effective way to provide nutrients to plants, which are essential for obtaining high-value crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate two N fertilizer rates (150 and 200 kg ha-1) and four Mn fertilizer rates (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg Mn ha-1) on the N, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe content and composition of fatty acids in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain. An increase in the N fertilizer rate increased (12.7%) the Mn content and decreased (10%) the Cu content of wheat grain. Regardless of N fertilization, foliar application of Mn at 1.5 kg ha-1 contributed to the highest Zn (28.4 mg kg-1) and Fe (58.4 mg kg-1) content in the grain. In an analysis of lipid fractions, the highest value of the coefficient of variation was recorded for C18:0 (16.3%-low variation). Nitrogen and Mn fertilization were most strongly correlated with the Mn content of grain (r = 0.356, r = 0.391, respectively). The 200 kg N ha-1 treatments combined with 1.0 kg ha-1 Mn and 150 kg ha-1 N without Mn were correlated with the content of C:18:0, C18:1c11, C18:1c9, and monounsaturated fatty acids in the grain. The application of 200 kg ha-1 N with 1.5 kg ha-1 Mn was correlated with the Fe, Zn, and Mn content of the grain. The remaining fertilization treatments were correlated with the content of C18:3, C18:2, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and the C18:2/C18:3 ratio in the grain. Results indicated that the application of 200 kg ha-1 N beneficially affected the PUFA content in the winter wheat grain and can therefore be used to obtain raw material with increased nutritional value. The human organism does not synthesize PUFA, so they must be taken with food (or supplements); winter wheat grain can be a good source because it contains more than 60% PUFA.

The aim of the research was to identify factors influencing consumer perception of organic food quality. The research concerned the consumers’ assessment of certain attributes (technological and market ones) of organic food products. The surveys were carried out in 2005, 2010, and 2013 among the inhabitants of northeast Poland. The main technological attributes indicated by the respondents were the nutrition value of the food and highly valued way of its production, ensuring limited use of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. In all analyzed periods the respondents valued sensory features of organic food, especially its natural taste. Market attributes of organic food that were identified during the study are the following: health values, place of purchase, producer’s logo, and price. Among the attributes of the organic products also their social features were presented.

The aim of the paper is to determine the scale of intervoivodship variation in terms of the level of household income, taking into account the sources of this income. To evaluate regional differences related to the economic situation of households, the authors used data on the sources and level of income per person in a household in a voivodship. Average values of income for each identified source were calculated on the basis of microdata from the 2016 Household Budget Survey carried out by Statistics Poland. For the purpose of the study, the authors employed k-medoid method, one of non-hierarchical techniques of division. It was demonstrated that of all the diagnostic features adopted in the study, it was the level of income from permanent employment abroad which differentiated among particular clusters of voivodships to the largest extent. The average value for this feature in cluster 2 was PLN 5000,70 per person in the household. The performed grouping of voivodships showed that the extent to which households search for additional sources of income depends on the economic potential of the region and available opportunities.