From conventional to organic in Romanian agriculture – Impact assessment of a land use changing paradigm

Abstract

Arguing organic vs. conventional land use is broadly discussed in research papers, political discourse, and even more practical issues at farm level. In macroeconomic approach, the dilemma is that intensive agriculture that utilizes large quantities of inputs made it possible to grow enough food to meet the current global needs, but this way of land use leads to environmental damage and degradation of ecosystem services. In microeconomic approach, the dilemma is whether is more profitable for a farm to convert conventional crops to organic ones. This article aims to undertake this approach with respect to one case study carried out in North-West Romania, to a farm of 450ha of cereals: wheat, corn, sunflower and soybeans. Its conclusions may not be representative for all organic conversions, but the findings are relevant at a time of debate over changing land use and crops structure of farms. The study indicates that the economic efficiency is slightly higher in organic system compared to conventional. The attractiveness of the sector made farmers to convert part of their land to organic farming, as shown the statistics of accelerated growth of area under organic farming in the last years in Romania.