Land Concentration, Land Grabbing and Sustainable Development of Agriculture in Romania

Abstract

Land grabbing has become a priority topic in academic research and a political concern, due to interests in the dynamics of the phenomenon and its negative impact on the sustainable development of agriculture in rural areas. This phenomenon generates changes in production systems of agriculture with adverse environmental consequences, adversely affects socio-economic and cultural conditions and leads to lower overall efficiency in agriculture. This article analyses the links between land concentration, land grabbing and sustainable development of agriculture in Romania compared to other old and new EU-28 countries. The results of the research show that the land grabbing in Romania has a significant dimension compared to the other countries analyzed, which has led to an inadequate agrarian structure and adverse effects on the sustainable performance of agricultural holdings and the sustainable development of rural areas.

Developments in the income situation of the agricultural sector in selected the EU member states

“…Future research should concentrate on increasing production efficiency and land-use concentration by the introduction of advanced agricultural technology to ensure environmental conservation and avoid natural damages. Burja et al (2020) emphasized that land grabbing in Romania has had a significant dimension compared to other Member States of the EU leading to an inadequate agrarian structure and adverse effects on the sustainable performance of agricultural holdings and the sustainable development of rural areas.…”

Limited effectiveness of EU policies to conserve an endangered species in high nature value farmland in Romania

“…Historical, economic, and biophysical factors mean that traditional subsistence and semi-subsistence agriculture is still more common in parts of Eastern Europe compared with the rest of the EU (Sutcliffe et al 2015, Hartel et al 2016, Burja et al 2020. Since joining the EU in 2007, Romania has been considered one of the EU's foremost biodiversity hotspots, particularly in terms of farmland-associated diversity (Loos et al 2014).…”

“…However, due to unclear definition criteria (Beaufoy et al 2012), reported values range between 15-39% (Page et al 2012, Gavrilescu 2017. Particularly in remote areas and economically marginal agricultural lands, farming in rural Romania has prevailed at subsistence and semi-subsistence levels (Burja et al 2020). Roughly 93% of Romania's farm holdings have less than 5 ha of agricultural land, and the diverging trend of land-use intensification is visible given that 70% of agricultural land lies in the hands of 7% of holdings (European Network of Rural Development 2015).…”

“…Although rich in biodiversity and with high environmental resilience potential at regional and continental scales (Fischer 2012, Barthel et al 2013, the farmers inhabiting and sustaining these landscapes often have socioeconomic aspirations with consumerist types of ideals (Hartel et al 2018). This situation typically results in land abandonment (through emigration of the young people when no satisfactory economic incomes are available at the local level) or land-use intensification (through land grabbing or adopting mechanized agriculture) (Hartel et al 2018, Burja et al 2020. This hidden threat to the traditional farming landscapes highlights the need for careful harmonization of legitimate economic development goals with the maintenance of landscapes with high natural and cultural value.…”

The impact of European Union Common Agricultural Policy on the intensification of animal farming in Bulgaria, Romania, and the countries that have signed association agreements with the EU

“…The fact that Romanian agriculture still remains underdeveloped (as compared to the other Member States) has encouraged a lot of foreign investments in recent years. As a result of this process, which sometimes takes the form of outright land grabbing (Burja et al 2020, Bouniol 2013, the market production of food in Romania has become increasingly dominated by very large companies operating on an international scale*. This is clearly visible within the livestock sector.…”