Szabolcs Troján
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Publications - 9
Sustainability reporting practices of Hungarian food subsectors from EU taxonomy perspectives
Publication Name: Discover Sustainability
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The importance and relevance of sustainability reporting by food companies is growing in the wake of green compliance, especially in EU Member States, where–in line with the EU Taxonomy–stricter legislation requires more accurate and transparent sustainability reporting. From 2014, the NFRD (Non-Financial Reporting Directive) legislation made non-financial reporting mandatory only for companies with at least 500 employees and of public interest, while the CSRD (Corporative Sustainability Reporting Directive) legislation, which came into force in 2023, made it mandatory for all companies. The aim of this paper is to examine how companies are prepared to comply with the new legislation. The sustainability reporting of food companies by subsector was analysed to identify differences and compare the quality of reporting with financial performance data. The study used a content analysis with a scoring method to assess the quality of sustainability reports from the point of view of EU Taxonomy produced by companies in 2020 and 2021. The proportions of critical financial performance data within subsectors were also examined. In 2020 and 2021, the companies analysed accounted for over 50% of the sector’s total net revenue, net profit, and foreign registered capital, highlighting significant financial concentration. The results show that the content and quality of sustainability reporting by food companies varies considerably between subsectors. The subsectors, dairy products manufacturing, processing, and preserving of fruit and vegetables scored the highest on sustainability objectives, particularly excelling in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The significance of the study lies in the fact that the methodology provides an opportunity to track and re-examine the future reporting practices of companies following the legislative changes.
Open Access: Yes
Evaluation of sustainability reporting of the food industry in Hungary from an EU taxonomy perspective
Publication Name: Quality and Quantity
Publication Date: 2024-10-01
Volume: 58
Issue: 5
Page Range: 4479-4504
Description:
Compliance with green requirements is becoming increasingly important in assessing the performance of companies. The new CSRD legislation requires a wider range of companies to produce sustainability reports and their content is influenced by the EU's taxonomy regulation setting out the framework for sustainable finance. The disclosure of information affects the perception of companies' sustainability performance, which will affect their access to financial resources and development opportunities. The main question is, both in theory and in practice, how companies can comply with the legislation in the future. It is essential for the competitiveness of Hungary's food industry to keep pace with future environmental sustainability requirements, so we examined the sustainability reporting practices of the sector's key companies in terms of their contribution to the environmental objectives set out in the taxonomy regulation. The research fits well with the EU's overall green transition regulatory procedure and our study is gap-filling at macro-regional and sectoral levels. The sustainability reports were assessed by content analysis using a scoring method. The results show that the sustainability reporting practices of food processing companies in Hungary differ significantly. Furthermore, greater emphasis must be placed on reporting and the credibility of the reports to meet future expectations. Foreign-owned companies and companies with more than 500 employees attribute greater importance to reporting. In the food processing sector, the disclosure of information and data under the taxonomy objectives of mitigation of climate change, sustainable use of water and marine resources, and transition to a circular economy was most common.
Open Access: Yes
Sustainability reporting practices of agricultural and forestry companies in Hungary: a content analysis
Publication Name: Bio Web of Conferences
Publication Date: 2024-08-23
Volume: 125
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
To demonstrate the sustainability of companies, some companies have already produced sustainability reports, most of which have been published on their websites, while others have only produced and made public the reports and certifications required by law. In the European Union, legislation as of 2014 required the preparation of non-financial reports for publicly relevant entities, companies and parent companies of large groups of companies considered to be entities and having an average number of employees of more than 500. However, in line with the European Green Deal and the Taxonomy Regulation, as of 2023, a new law has been introduced, which extends the sustainability reporting obligation to nonpublic large companies and public small and medium-sized enterprises. Agricultural enterprises should also be prepared for this reporting obligation. This study aims to examine the ESG indices of the sampled companies and seek a correlation between the quality of the information disclosed and the financial characteristics of the companies. The results show that while forestry companies pay more attention to the disclosure of this type of information, there is some under-disclosure in both sectors.
Open Access: Yes
Factors influencing the leasing fees of hunting grounds in Hungary
Publication Name: Bio Web of Conferences
Publication Date: 2024-08-23
Volume: 125
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The history of hunting customs and traditions, as well as game management, in Hungary is long and rich, forming an essential part of Hungarian culture. By the end of the 20th century, changes had been introduced to the political and social structures, as had been the case in the field of hunting. In Hungary, the right to hunt is an integral part of land ownership. Those who own land that is classified as hunting land are entitled to exercise this right. Furthermore, landowners may lease this right within the boundaries of the hunting area established by the relevant hunting authority. The lease shall be concluded by a lease contract between the parties, namely the landowner and the hunters' association. The Hungarian Parliament enacted Act LV of 1996, which modernised the decree on game protection, game management, and hunting. Furthermore, the act delineates the fundamental elements of a hunting lease contract, yet it lacks sufficient detail regarding the leasing fee. Since 1996, a method for determining the leasing fee for hunting has been lacking. This is despite the fact that there has been a need for such a method for more than 25 years. The current situation is such that the contracting parties and the public authorities are unable to determine the leasing fee for hunting in a realistic manner. This lack of clarity has resulted in disagreements between the contracting parties. Furthermore, the current situation is such that there is no accurate and useable method for determining the leasing fee for hunting. A nationwide data collection has commenced among Hungarian hunting associations, based on a literature review and the methodology. The objective is to determine which factors influence the leasing fees and to what extent. The hedonic price method, which has already proven its worth in previous similar research, has been employed to draw up a multivariate regression equation of national validity. This permits the examination of the situation in all counties, and thus the establishment of whether the leasing fee used in the leasing contract of a particular hunting ground matches its characteristics. The objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive and transparent model for the determination of leasing fees for hunting, based on a synthesis of national and international literature.
Open Access: Yes
Sentinels of Sustainability: Practices of Agricultural Farms Clustered in Hungary’s Farmers’ Markets
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 973-978
Description:
The analysis of local farmers' markets (FMs) is an important part of sustainability issues, as the products they offer can guarantee both the proper functioning of local farms and healthy nutrition for inhabitants. The aim of this research is to identify the most important characteristics of FMs small-scale businesses related to agricultural activities based on a convenience sample in Hungary. The database obtained by the questionnaire survey was compiled based on the answers of a total of 220 farm owners/managers. The results were subjected to analysis using a K-means clustering method, which identified four distinct groups of farms with the highest weighting of turnover from agricultural activity. The clustering distinguished beekeeping, arable crop production, animal husbandry, and vegetable and fruit production, which were treated as a separate cluster. The observed differences between the groups indicate that farms primarily engaged in beekeeping and livestock farming have the highest turnover. These findings may be manifested by the group’s member farms in terms of higher professional representation and high-quality products. A noteworthy distribution-related finding is that livestock products exhibit the greatest average distance from the point of origin to the FM, which can be attributed to the sparse geographical location of the production sites. The results could have a considerable consequence for policymakers in informing them about the design of support opportunities and the identification of beneficiary groups.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114163
Sustainability Analysis of the Financial Situation of Hungarian Food Companies
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 943-948
Description:
In this study, the economic and financial performance of the Hungarian food industry sector sample between 2017 and 2022 was examined, with a special focus on the sustainable development rate. The increasingly prominent adverse economic and environmental changes in recent years have had a strong impact on firm-level performance, which can cause national economic problems in a strategic sector such as the food industry. The assessment relied mainly on information from a financial position and profit and loss accounts. The data were used to determine financial ratios and to calculate different growth rates, which were used to analyse the financing and sustainable growth issues of the sector. The number of Hungarian food processing enterprises has gradually declined over the period under study, with a concentration trend in terms of enterprise size, form and employment structure, as well as within sectors. Turnover and expenditure show linear growth at current prices, with increases in the various profit categories. The asset structure is stable, and profitability is improving. The number of companies and employment in the sector has been steadily declining in recent years, while efficiency is increasing, with total sector turnover approaching HUF 6.5 × 1012. The increase in profits in the food industry is remarkable for all branches of the economy. The sector is adapting well to the negative effects of the changing economic environment. The results of the study can help business leaders in their planning work when considering the evolution of growth rates, particularly the Sustainable Growth Rate.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114158
Development of the financial situation of Hungarian food industry enterprises - changes between 2017 and 2021
Publication Name: Economic and Regional Studies Studia Ekonomiczne I Regionalne
Publication Date: 2023-09-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 3
Page Range: 348-366
Description:
Subject and purpose of work:: The aim of the study is to analyse how the main financial data of d ouble-entry b ookkeeping f ood p rocessing e nterprises r eflect t he e ffects o f t he i ndicated economic environment. Materials and methods:: The evaluation was fundamentally based on ratios calculated on the basis of the statement of financial position and the income statement as well as trend analysis and financial indicators. Results:: The number of Hungarian food processing enterprises has been gradually decreasing over the period under review. Both turnover and expenditure show linear growth at current prices, with increases in the various result categories. The asset structure is stable, and profitability is improving. Conclusions:: The number of companies and the employment in the sector have been steadily declining in recent years, while efficiency is increasing. The increase in profits in the food industry is remarkable for all branches of the economy. The sector is adapting well to the negative effects of the changing economic environment.
Open Access: Yes
Examining the Sustainability Reporting Practices of Agricultural and Forestry Companies Operating in Hungary
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Volume: 107
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 493-498
Description:
To demonstrate that companies are operating in a sustainable way, in line with the European Green Deal and the Taxonomy Regulation, some companies have already produced sustainability reports. Agricultural companies should also be prepared for this reporting obligation, which can cause considerable difficulties for farmers, so it is assumed that this is not yet common practice. In this research, the sustainability reporting practices of agricultural and forestry companies in Hungary were assessed and analysed. The research sought to find out what the current reporting practices of these companies are and how prepared they are for future regulation. In this paper, the information provided by companies on their websites and after personal contact was analysed using content analysis. The qualitative information gathered was quantified using a scoring method. For evaluating the data, descriptive statistics and pairwise correlation coefficients were applied. It is concluded that although forestry companies publish some level of information and pay more attention to the disclosure of this type of information than agricultural companies, there is a slight gap in both sectors. Moreover, almost a fifth of agricultural companies do not have any information on their websites. This is likely to change in the future, as the sustainability reporting legislation will broaden the range of companies that are required to report, so improvements in this field are expected.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET23107083
The grass is always greener on the other side, or else Austria through the eyes of European rural developers
Publication Name: Deturope
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Page Range: 199-213
Description:
The study seeks to answer the question as to why the combined performance of agriculture and forestry can be explained by the fact that in an EU member state with an agricultural disadvantage and with an advanced economy, the size of the cultivated area is high. The reasons are complex and suggest a deliberately chosen strategy, the essence of which is that in Austria the social perception of agriculture is far more favorable than it would be expected from its GDP contribution. The reasons for this are partly rooted in the history of the past, but may also be linked to a more immediate and strategic decision making primarily on the transformation of the agricultural product structure, the efficient use of resources from the EU, the use of sophisticated tools for rural tourism and, last but not least, on the widespread shaping of the attitudes of the population.
Open Access: Yes
