Attila Szocs Administrator

Romania is a predominantly rural country, with 60% of the countries territory being classified as rural.

More than 4 million family farms covering an agricultural area of about 14 million ha

with an average farm size of 2.2 ha.

While 71% of the family farms are pushed back into subsistence, almost 1,2 million family farms still produce also for the market.

Romania has an area of 238,391 km2 and a total population of little more than 20 million.

Eco Ruralis is a grassroots peasants association, member of Via Campesina, currently made up of 500 members from all regions of Romania, who practice organic and traditional farming based on environmentally conscious principles, but also urban and rural gardeners and conscious consumers.

The WWOOF program (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) offers people the chance to volunteer on organic farms. Wwoofers provide labor to Host farms in exchange for food, accommodations, and the unique experience of living and working in the countryside.

Annually more than 250 Romanian and 500 international volunteers discover peasant produce from 41 traditional and organic farms and contribute in their production and marketing.

The Eco Ruralis Seed Savers network contains peasants, urban and rural gardeners which contribute to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity by saving and distributing traditional seeds. The network is a reliable source for locally adapted varieties of vegetables and cereals

Eco Ruralis networks and programs

Community supported agriculture ● Every week peasant families deliver a vegetable box, dairy products and bread

to consumers from the city creating a direct connection ● Alternative marketing for peasants after local market crashed due the

establishment of supermarkets ● Box values: 8-16 Euro ● Annual income: 15000 Euro

CSA schemes and direct marketing

Direct marketing from the farm ● Peasants which gained more visibility through actively participating in the

WWOOF program, seed conservation or other campaigns, advocating for peasants' rights and agroecology

● Mixed farms, raising also animals, taking the extra step of on farm processing

40% Direct marketing &

Box Schemes

30% Fairs, festivals, local market

30% Organic cooperative shop

Linking to other shops from the country

Organic family farmer Annual income: 30,000 Euro

One farm, several marketing channels

Important aspects & issues raised

● Aging of the peasant population ● Marketing of products using alternative schemes and channels ● Direct connection between the consumer and the producer ● Taking the step of on-farm processing ● While cooperation in farming together is still a big challenge, definitive steps are

being taken in processing and marketing ● Highly speculative global markets ● Increased corporate control on the production and distribution chains ● Difficulty in accessing EU subsidies for family farms ● Large multinational land investments blocking the possibility for young farmers to

settle and engage into agriculture