The role of farm activities for overcoming rural poverty in Romania

During the last two decades the agricultural sector in Romania has faced many changes and challenges. This paper links the most critical issues that the country faces with the recorded development of the agricultural structures, the overall economic development of the country and the evolution of poverty in rural areas. Earlier research on rural poverty attributes agriculture with an important role in poverty reduction or improving standards of living. In recent years, Romania has successfully reduced both development gaps and poverty rates. Though the agricultural sector served as a social buffer for several million people in the 1990s, in the background lies a very fragmented land property in which most rural households hold subsistence or semi-subsistence farms. These farms are often managed by retired elderly people lacking basic agricultural training. The authors aim to identify and present the triggers of future development in the rural economy, as well as the role that farming can play in poverty reduction and in fostering community development.