ORGANIC PRODUCTION IN ROMANIA. PERSPECTIVES IN EUROPEAN CONTEXT

Organic food products are a "must" for consumers who aim at a healthier lifestyle based on clean food and a friendly development of human society, in harmony with the environment. Orientation towards organic products is increasingly present in the European population, which also has the material means to purchase these products, which are more expensive than conventional products. This paper aims at presenting the organic products sector at European and national level. The data needed for research were taken from national and European statistics. Organically cultivated areas at European level have evolved over the last period, over the past 5 years, the recorded increase being of over 25%. Although ecological production may represent a market niche, Romania's evolution is atypical, contrary to the European trend. Thus, during the period when statistical data are reported at European level (2012-2015), the number of Romanian farmers has fallen by almost half and the ecologically cultivated area has decreased by 10%. National support measures for ecological agri-food producers have proved to be insufficient, and the ministry of agriculture's policies inefficient.