ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF AGRIBUSINESS COMPANIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The aim of this study is to show the issue of ecological responsibility of agribusiness companies with reference to their sustainable development. Environmental protection has become an integral part of management within them. Research has been conducted using the method of the diagnostic survey, using a survey questionnaire, in August 2015 among 250 owners, managers or other persons dealing with the issues of environmental protection in the agribusiness companies of Pomorskie Province of Poland.

The research has shown that the activity of agribusiness companies includes different aspects, such as: expenses for environmental protection, ecological investments (recreating, modernizing and new) as well as increasing costs of its use. This forces the companies to apply different instruments, such as: assuming a strategy of sustainable development, working out systems of environmental management, or environmental audit. An important thing is also the legislative approach including, among others, prescriptive-control systems, economic incentives for the agribusiness companies, etc.