FOOD SELF-SUPPLY AND INCOME OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS

Food self-supply is one of the ways of satisfying food needs, which is achieved through bypassing the market, in households located in rural areas. The studies conducted in 2011 and 2012 in 1000 households in Mazowieckie Province demonstrated a large scale of self-supply. A signifi cant portion of households declares consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as homemade preserves produced in their own household. The main objective of this article is to assess the phenomenon of food self-supply of households located in rural areas of Mazowieckie Province, with particular emphasis on their income. Based on the literature and conducted studies, the authors have formulated a hypothesis that the signifi cance of food self-supply in rural households diminishes with the increase in household income.