There are considerable differences between the EU-15 countries and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in the application rate of phosphorus (P) fertilizer and manure as well as in the climate and erosion patterns, but the eutrophication of surface waters is a common problem. The availability of information on the contribution of the CEE countries to European surveys on eutrophication is not adequate, because the amount of data available from these countries is small. There is thus a need to compile more comprehensive data sets for better assessment. Recent changes in agricultural practices, and their impact on the trophic status of surface waters in CEE countries, have been evaluated using a few selected pressure and state indicators (phosphorus balance, phosphorus status and erosion of agricultural land, P loss risk index, chlorophyll a, total and orthophosphate content of water) by compiling and analysing data from the literature. In the CEE countries, small annual P balances ()7 to +6 kg P ha )1 ) and declining levels of soil available P (proportion of soils adequately supplied with P dropped to between 10 and 50% of total area) may lead to low yields and economic difficulties. Only 11% of the variation in total phosphorus (TP) in rivers studied could be attributed to the calculated P loss risk index, and thus to the impact of differences in the agricultural diffuse source P load. The generation of more consistent data sets should be pursued for the whole of Europe in order to derive more powerful indicators. A refined P index could be one of the best indicators of eutrophication. Recent changes in the trophic level of surface waters could be attributed to a large extent to the change in point source P loads, i.e. to the diminishing amount of P load from municipal and industrial wastewater. The short-term improvement of water quality in the CEE countries will require further improvements in wastewater treatment, but long-term improvement will only be achieved by reducing diffuse P losses from agriculture, possibly involving changes in the land use pattern and in farming practices.

Rural Romania faces many problems, the main one being depopulation. In general, young adults frequently choose to migrate to urban centers or leave the country entirely to satisfy economic and/or social aspirations. The aim of this study is to identify intractable issues that inhibit rural development and to identify actionable solutions. In this regard, a questionnaire was developed and administered at the local level. The results obtained were analyzed with the SPSS Statistical Program, with the Pearson Chi-square, and Cramer and Pearson coefficients were determined. The answers obtained from applying the questionnaire made it possible to identify the causes that inhibit the sustainable development of rural areas. It can be considered that a solution that could lead to the sustainable development of the rural areas from Romania would be represented by the development of a digital tool that would create a synergy between local authorities, researchers and the private sector. In order to be able to solve these problems, the Government of Romania should provide the necessary funds to local authorities, depending on the needs identified through the digital instrument, acting directly on the aspects that restrain the development of those areas.

The rural area is a basic component from a socio-economic point of view, being closely linked to the activities that take place in these areas. Normally, Romanian rural localities should show significant differences from one development region to another, being influenced by a number of factors (geographical positioning, the influence of agriculture in the economy, etc.). In this sense, data were collected from the town halls of the localities from Calarasi and Timis counties. The analyzed data were processed by the linear regression method, and the estimation of the evolution of the population was determined using the Vensim simulation program. The paper identifies a pattern in rural localities in Romania that hinders their development, reflected by various socio-economic indicators available in the analyzed localities. The main factor that can change this pattern in rural localities is the influence of local and national decision-makers, who can encourage investment in these areas either through the development of local and national infrastructure or through fiscal measures that encourage the development of quality non-agricultural activities that can generate financial resources and jobs at the local level. Moreover, it is not only the low number of non-agricultural activities that is causing the poor development of rural areas, but rather the low number of economic operators in general and the quality of these types of activities, which in most cases do not have the capacity to create new jobs.

A family farm is an important part of the countryside, both economically and especially socially. In recent years, legislative measures have encouraged the development of large farms, ensuring food security while neglecting family farms, which are characterised by a lack of organisation, the absence of proper classification and the absence of measures to encourage their development and protection. In order to identify the premises underlying the development of family farms, and to create a development model for those family farms in a poor economic situation, the BMC method and SWOT analysis of seven family farms considered successful models were used. The development of these types of farms could provide a solution to a major problem facing the Romanian countryside: the depopulation of rural areas. The results of the study show that the development of these types of farms is based on joining an associative form (cooperatives) and/or making investments in the processing/storage line of agricultural products.

The study analyzes the awareness of the effects of climate change on agriculture and the measures that should be implemented in this regard from the farmer’s perspective, taking into account the financial and promotional measures supported by the European Union for farmers. Thus, the study tracks the level of openness of farmers to implementing the measures that European policy makers will take in the coming period. Taking into account the fact that agriculture plays a particularly important economic role, due to the share of agricultural products in Romania’s total exports, particularly in plant production, a quantitative survey was carried out among Romanian farmers, using a questionnaire as an instrument, with a total of 407 respondents. The farmers interviewed undoubtedly recognize that the problems they face are caused by the effects of climate change and are willing to adapt, seek and implement the necessary solutions. The most problematic climatic phenomenon identified by farmers (71.5%) is drought, with negative effects on their activity. At the same time, 54.15% of the respondents believe that the effects of climate change are affecting their business through lower yields. Although the farmers interviewed are willing to implement solutions to combat climate effects, 80.34% of them are not considering revising cropping patterns, giving more importance to market demand than to practices that protect the environment. In conclusion, as long as farmers feel and understand the effects of climate change, it cannot be a myth, especially if they are willing to adapt to these challenges.

Cooperatives are known worldwide as important institutional commitments to overcome the constraints faced by small farmers in developing countries. We conducted an in-depth investigation in order to identify the reasons behind the underdevelopment of agricultural cooperatives in Romania, as well as the solutions that the representatives of cooperatives see, starting from the premise that they are the main connoisseurs of this activity, knowing the strengths, but especially the weaknesses of this activity, by administering a questionnaire-based survey as the main research tool. Clearly, cooperative representatives are aware of the socio-economic implications and role of cooperatives, with average values closer to “total agreement”, especially in terms of contribution to food security.

Throughout this paper, the theoretical concepts from the above areas were combined with the analysis and interpretation of statistical data from the same areas of interest, resulting in a detailed analysis of how the agricultural labour force influences the yields of the five most important crops in the Romanian agricultural sector, namely, wheat, maize, sunflower, rapeseed and soybean. The analysis was carried out within the eight NUTS-listed development regions. A bibliometric analysis of the importance of the academic environment for agricultural labour force research was previously carried out using VOSviewer software. The content of this document aims to determine the impact that the agricultural labour force has on the productivity of the five main crops cultivated in Romania over large areas during the period 2015–2019, where, although the population employed in agriculture has decreased, the yields of these crops have increased due to the technological development process started in agriculture. As of 2019, only 9% of the total Romanian population is represented by the population employed in agriculture and 39.41% and 61.37% of the total area of the country are represented by arable/agricultural area, respectively.

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