Iulia Sorina Dan

Romania ranks among the top five cereal producers in the European Union, with an important organic grain sector. Currently, the existing research on organic value chains is relatively sparse. Furthermore, the geographical scope of the existing literature is often narrow, with limited attention to Eastern Europe, especially to Romania. Moreover, understanding the barriers of the organic value chain in line with the European Green Deal's ambition of certifying 25% of agricultural land as organic is also not properly addressed in the current literature. This study advances current knowledge by meticulously mapping the value chain structure in a multi-actor approach, aiming to identify governance issues and pinpoint barriers alongside potential solutions to maximise the contributions of the Romanian organic cereal sector to the EU Green Deal targets. Data was gathered through 30 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the entire value chain. A content analysis was employed to interpret and categorise the findings at different stakeholder levels. Results reveal that several transversal challenges for better grains organic sector development are: inconsistent legislative frameworks; low processing capabilities attributed to the low demand for organic products, and the lack of consumer confidence in organic products. Stakeholders propose several strategies to mitigate these challenges, including the implementation of consumer education initiatives, a focus on boosting domestic processing instead of relying on exports, legislative stability and the introduction of better-targeted financial incentives to support organic farming. All these results collectively hinder the likelihood of achieving the organic farming targets outlined by the EU Green Deal.

The rising interest in organic products aligns with a global push for sustainable development, notably through initiatives like the European Green Deal introduced by the European Commission. In Romania, although organic farming and product consumption are increasing, they remain well below the EU averages. This study explores Romanian consumers’ and non-consumers’ perceptions and attitudes toward organic products in a contemporary context shaped by post-COVID-19 adjustments and geopolitical tensions. By developing consumer profiles, the study provides insights to help manufacturers and sellers diversify their strategies such as to meet the EU Green Deal targets. Data were collected from 833 respondents using an online survey and then analyzed with SPSS 23.0. The sample is more representative of young, well-educated, urban residents and, therefore, not fully representative of the entire Romanian population. Descriptive statistics revealed socio-demographic profiles and means for variables reflecting consumer attitudes toward organic products. Exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation identified core dimensions among variables and cluster analysis was used to identify different consumer groups. Findings show that typical organic product consumers are younger, well educated, and value quality, reflecting a commitment to sustainable choices. However, high prices are the main barrier to market growth, deterring many potential consumers. Additionally, there is considerable skepticism about organic foods, with doubts about their advantages over conventional products, and a lack of information limits consumer understanding of organic product benefits. These obstacles hinder broader adoption of organic foods in Romania. Future public policies should better support organic market chains to promote the positive externalities of such products such as to meet the ambitious EU Green Deal targets.

As people become more and more aware of health issues, environmental protection, and climate change, there is a major shift to organic food consumption in our society. Among the main organic products consumed, we highlight vegetables because they are a major source of vitamins and minerals. The paper aims to carry out an analysis of the value chain of organic vegetables in Romania. This study presents the results of the analysis of the value chain of organic vegetables regarding aspects such as chain mapping, governance structure, and chain modernization. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with key chain actors. The research shows that the value chain of organic vegetables in Romania is simple and short; in 45.5% of cases, there is only a distributor between the producer and the final customer. The processing function being poorly developed, 90% of the vegetables get to be marketed fresh. The study identified the main barriers to the development of this system, namely low demand for organic products and high legislative volatility. Key actors also suggested some levers to overcome barriers, such as campaigns to inform and educate consumers about organic products and their benefits and better targeted public policies.