ORGANIC FARMING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ROMANIAN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Abstract

Organic agriculture is a branch of interest in the context of the global economy oriented towards reducing pollution, increasing food quality and reducing the impact on the environment. The objective of this research is to identify the main components of organic agriculture in Romania and their dynamics during the period 2010–2023 in order to identify changes in agricultural policy elements with an impact on the medium-term development strategy of Romanian agriculture. Organic agriculture is the production system that is based on certain strict principles of obtaining products, in accordance with guidelines and standards (national and international standards), which are intended to reduce the human impact on the environment, while maintaining the normal functioning of the agricultural system. In Romania, the total area converted to organic agriculture is 694 thousand hectares, representing 5.47% of the country's agricultural area. The trend is upward, but the proportion of organic agriculture is very small compared to other European countries. Taking into account the unpredictability of factors that can influence organic agriculture, as well as the fluctuations in the number of operators, estimates show that the area used in the organic farming system in 2030 could reach at least 800,000 ha, respectively 6% of Romania's utilized agricultural area.