Rural households as food prosumers in the context of sustainable consumption - an example of Poland

Objectives The aim of the article is evaluation of the level of self-supply of food in rural households in Poland, which is in line with new consumer trends, being part of sustainable development, including sustainable food production and consumption. Material and methods For that purpose, an index of food self-supply was developed based on statements of respondents concerning the level of production and consumption of selected food products indicated in the survey, produced for one’s own use. Next, dependencies were analysed between the level of food self-supply and variables describing sociodemographic characteristics of the surveyed households. Results The level of food self-supply in low-income households was significantly higher than in medium- and high-income households. The number of persons in a household does not affect its level of food self-supply. Households with children up to 14 years of age are characterized by a higher level of food self-consumption. The analysis shows that the highest level of food self-sufficiency is characteristic of type 1 households, lower - type 2, and the lowest - type 3 households. Conclusions A consumer has the choice between shopping on the market of goods and services and prosumption, that is producing such goods themselves. Prosumption is the most efficient method of satisfying the needs of household members, allowing to minimize costs and ensure the level of fulfilment of needs.