ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND PRODUCTS CERTIFIED UNDER QUALITY SCHEMES IN ROMANIA

Abstract

Organic farming and agri-food products certified through voluntary quality schemesare areas of interest for both authorities and consumers. In recent years, this sector has been developing steadily in Romania, and producers have begun to realize the potential for growth in this niche sector. This research aims to highlight the stage of development of organic agriculture and certified products in Romania. Nationally, it was observed that organic farming covers approximately 0.5 million hectares, unevenly distributed across land use categories. This area represents only 3.5% of the national agricultural land, a proportion well below the European target of 25% of the EU's agricultural land, set to be achieved by 2030. Regarding agri-food products certified through voluntary quality schemes, there are 3815 certified products nationally, unevenly represented in certification categories, with the majority belonging to mountain products.