The Contribution of Romanian Agriculture to Global Warming and the Impact of Climate Change on Vegetable Crops

Abstract

Abstract Climate change represents the most serious threat to the environment, with negative effects on agricultural productivity, both in the vegetable and livestock sectors. The article proposes an analysis of the agricultural sector in Romania from the perspective of the contribution to global warming and the impact of climate change on the plant sector. Data from the National Institute of Statistics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Meteorological Agency, the European Union and the European Environment Agency were used for the analysis. The analyzed data show that Romania’s agriculture is not intensive in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the type of emissions being related to the way of soil management within the agricultural holdings, the number of animals in the holdings and the use of biomass in agricultural practices. Given that Romania’s agriculture is dependent on climatic conditions, food security and the well-being of the population largely depends on how farmers, especially those with subsistence farms, will adapt to climate change. Reducing the risks and effects of global warming requires an integrated strategy that includes climate change adaptation measures, complemented by climate change mitigation measures.