Analysis of the Romanian rural agri-food potential

Abstract

In Romania, agriculture is the most vulnerable part of the economy, as about 30% of the country's population works in this sector. What minimizes the overall performance of the agricultural sector are subsistence farms, so that labor and land are used below their economic potential. The lack of competitiveness is generated by the excess of the agricultural labor force, to which is added the lack of capital and the inadequate training of the farmers. This results in an imbalance in the ratio between very low incomes and activities. The paper is based on statistical research on the degree of rural development of the commune under analysis, the diagnosis of the mentioned rural area, the SWOT analysis of the commune and the 2030 vision from the point of view of rural development. Regarding rural development, the policy focuses on three key points: environment, agri-food economy, extended rural economy. For this reason, the seven criteria of rural development representative for the diagnosis of the rural area were taken into account, according to which the Banca commune, Vaslui county was included in a specific category from the rural development point of view. The SWOT analysis of the rural area complements the highlighted characteristics and makes possible an overview, summary, of the agri-food potential, development opportunities and combating the existing problems. Finally, the 2030 vision captures the need to implement an agri-food strategy in order to develop economically, ecologically, territorially, socially in order to ensure agri-food safety and security.