The National Rural Development Programme was approved by the European Commission on 26 May 2015. NRDP 2014-2020 (financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural  development) supports the strategic development of rural areas through specific measures for the following strategic goals: ➢Restructuring and increasing the viability of agricultural holdings; ➢Sustainable management of...

In the village of Chinelnic, Bistriţa County, a small settlement sheltered by the hills, a zoo technical engineer started a duck and goose farm where the fowl live in semi-freedom and they are fed as natural as possible. In 2014, after 20 years of pilgrimage in the city, Radu Marica...

“Ferma Stoian – Legume românești” (“Stoian Farm – Romanian Vegetables”) started off in 1992 as a family business. The, following the retrocession of the agricultural lands, the family got an area of seven hectares, on which it cultivated cabbage in the first year. At that moment, the work was performed...

Nowadays, one cannot talk about an authentic rural tourism within a certain destination without emphasizing the local cultural heritage (cultural landscape, customs and traditions, gastronomy and so on). In the existing context, the local gastronomy is perceived as a marketing instrument efficient in differentiating the rural touristic destinations. A special...

The advantages of cooperatives, groups and organisations of producers.

Romania’s small-scale farmers need information and technical assistance to achieve an integrated use of all the Rural Development Programme measures available to them. ADEPT has identified various urgent needs: improved access to information, including though internet skills for key individuals (such as farmer associations): coordinated delivery of information on eligibility...

The two pig breeds, Mangalița and Bazna, have been ignored for a long time because of their low prolificacy and low carcass yield. However, there are rearers who appreciate them and fight to bring them back to the public’s attention. One of them is the agronomist Ioan Tătăran, from the...

Every time we rediscover traditional products we gladly remember the flavours from our childhood. Who had the chance, at least once, to visit a sheepfold, knows that is a special place, where fresh raw cheese, sour cream with hot polenta and butterfried lamb are just a few of their specific...

“Mărginimea Sibiului” Association of Traditional and Ecological Products Producers was founded on 30 March 2011, at the initiative of a few kind producers from Sibiu County. Coordinated by the president Gheorghe Budrală, the association has 28 members now. “Mărginimea Sibiului” Association aims to valorise the traditional food heritage, and this...

Bogdan Alecu – manager in Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development. In order to understand the importance of family farms, we have to know what they are and what they represent. They are small-scale agricultural farms, where the activities are performed  mostly by the family members.

Due to concentration or development strategies, in recent years, worldwide, farmers are faced with a fundamental strategic decisions, namely to choose how to act better, in conditions of uncertainty, to make farms viable, profitable, resistance to competition, with markets and efficiency in accessing financial funds. Alternatively, farmers realize different forms...

Over the next 7 years, the CAP will invest nearly EUR 20 billion in Romania's farming sector and rural areas. Key political priorities defined at EU level include: jobs, sustainability, modernization, innovation and quality. In parallel, Romania has flexibility to adapt both direct payments and rural development programmes to its...

Organic farming no longer serves a niche market in the European Union (EU). In spite of the global economic crisis, the mainstreaming of organic products has maintained its impressive trajectory: since 2008 there has been an average annual growth rate of 8%; annual turnover has risen to €20 billion; and more than 500...

In the world, more than 80 per cent of farms are family farms – in total more than 500 million economic and social entities. In Europe 25 million people, 172 million hectares of agricultural land and 12 million farms are involved in EU agricultural production. A vast majority of these...

Agritourism is picking up steam in Romania. From humble beginnings, this economic activity is steadily growing and helping the rural population keep their agricultural traditions and culture alive. It is important to take a moment to differentiate between ecotourism and agritourism. Ecotourism usually focuses on visiting pristine and relatively undisturbed natural...

This report presents the synthesis of case studies analysed by the action-research activity. The aim is to give a description of the practices carried out by farmers, individually or collectively, which can be considered as sustainable ways to use plant genetic resources with the purpose that these practices be spread...

The paper analyses the manner in which organic agriculture has developed in the emerging countries of the European Union, in particular during the current economic crisis. Organic agriculture represents a continuously expanding sector in the European Union. In the period 2000-2012, the total utilized area for organic production increased by...

The current paper analyses the way the short food supply chain can positively influence the development of the rural tourism, with economic, social and environment benefits, as well as the harmonious and sustainable development of the rural communities. Numerous examples offered by the developed countries prove that, for the well-known...

Farm Life in Romania Countryside.

In Romania the agricultural industry is conforming to EU norms. Factory farms are favored, while small-scale farmers lose out.