13th Economics & Finance Virtual Conference, Prague

ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES OF ROMANIAN FARMERS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIOECONOMY THROUGH FARMERS’ MARKETS

JOHN POLIMENI, RALUCA IORGULESCU

Abstract:

Farmers’ markets are an important source of income for many farmers and for developing the bioeconomy. This direct-to-consumer marketing approach dates back centuries and it is the place where urban dwellers shop for locally grown produce and products and interact with the farmers. Arguably the most important market in Romania is the piaţa, a version of a farmers’ market. At the piaţa people can purchase everything from food staples, such as fruits, vegetables, cheese, and meat, to regular and traditional clothing to everyday household products. Over the years, with the entry of hypermarkets in the country and a focus on sustainability issues by the European Union, Romanians have become more educated and aware of items such as organic produce and consumers increased the demand for those products. The farmers’ markets in Romania are a good option for consumers to purchase organic produce. Therefore, understanding the attitudes of farmers selling at the markets is an important component of the development of the agricultural sector, rural areas, and the bioeconomy. Using primary data, descriptive statistics are presented on sustainable agriculture in Romania and logistic regression analysis is performed to illustrate farmers attitudes to different environmental scenarios. The results of this study suggest that sustainably produced agricultural goods are an important economic development tool reducing economic and environmental vulnerability.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Environmental Economics Bioeconomy

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