Romania is one of the most important countries in the European agricultural sector, considering that 23% of the total agricultural workforce in the EU, 1.77 million jobs, is concentrated here - the largest share in the Union, according to a recently launched profile report.Romania owns approximately a third of all farms in the EU, although 90% of them are under five hectares, meaning they are subsistence farms. Impact Hub Bucharest (EIT Food representative in Romania), in partnership with Startarium, launched the fourth edition of the report on Romanian AgriFood startups, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the ecosystem: "Romanian AgriFood Startups Overview Report 2024."The initiative is part of the series of preparatory events within the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA), dedicated to female entrepreneurs and projects created by them in the agrifood field. Empowering Women in Agrifood is an accelerator programme developed by EIT Food, the world's largest food innovation community. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.According to the same report, agriculture continues to be a key sector for both the Romanian and European Union economies, despite a constantly decreasing contribution to GDP and an increasingly low profitability.The research shows that Romania is one of the most important countries in the European agricultural sector, considering that 23% of the total agricultural workforce in the EU is concentrated here (1.77 million jobs - the highest share in the Union). Also, 44.3% of farmers are over 65 years old, which highlights an acute problem regarding the aging of the workforce. An interesting fact revealed in the analysis is the percentage of women working in agriculture in Romania, 19% in 2021, the highest in the EU, the abovementioned document states.In 2023, when the available data was collected, there were 73 FoodTech and AgriTech startups in Romania. During 2018-2023, there were 18 rounds of financing attracted, of which 14 million euros for the FoodTech sector and four rounds worth 1.6 million euros for the AgriTech sector.In addition, according to the report, the level of digitalisation in Romanian farms is low, although the use of advanced technologies such as sensors, drones, satellite imaging or artificial intelligence would significantly increase the profitability of the sector.
Romania has reached a purchasing power per capita of EUR 11,105, approximately 45% below the European average – a figure that places the country in 31st place in the European top, according to the "NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2025" study. Compared to 2024, Romania moved up one position in the NIQ ranking. Comparatively, at a […]
Ionuț Costea, former head of EximBank, and Sebastian Vlădescu, former finance minister, were released on November 5 following an extraordinary prescription procedure, according to a statement from Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ). The two had been sentenced in 2023 to six and seven years in prison, respectively, for taking a EUR 5.5 […]
Prime minister Ilie Bolojan, who also serves as president of the Liberal Party (PNL), stated on November 4 that, at the meeting of the party's National Political Bureau the same day, support was renewed for resolving the issue related to special (magistrates') pensions this month, but also for the reform in public administration, according to
Knauf Insulation Romania, the local subsidiary of a division of the German group Knauf, has officially inaugurated its new glass mineral wool factory in Târnăveni, Mureș County, after an investment of EUR 140 million, for which the company also received EUR 18 million in state aid. "Our factory in Târnăveni, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, has […]
Corden BioChem, an expert in industrial biotechnology, could resume production at the bioethanol factory it took over from Swiss Clariant in southern Romania (or "Lesser Wallachia" as indicated by the company) at Podari, after the Competition Council authorised the takeover of the steam and electricity supplier. The company announced on its website that the Podari […]
Romania’s general government budget deficit can drop below 6.5% of GDP next year, possibly approaching 6% of GDP, to further drop below 5% of GDP if the tax evasion and tax avoidance are addressed, the head of the Fiscal Council, Daniel Daianu, said, speaking in a conference organised by Curs de Guvernare, as reported by […]
