COVID-19 pandemic and agriculture in Romania: effects on agricultural systems, compliance with restrictions and relations with authorities.

Like most economic sectors, agriculture has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was designed to understand the impact of the initial stages of the pandemic on the agricultural sector in Romania. A web-based research study of farmers was conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants (n = 148) were self-selected, by answering the questionnaire online. The results highlighted that the pandemic was having an impact on agricultural costs, labor, farm management and food security. Among the farmers who were asked to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays with agricultural work, only 35.1% indicated that they had not registered delays. When farmers were asked if they anticipated a future increase in costs in agriculture as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 45.9% of respondents felt that costs would increase. Fifty-seven percent of participants reported that they would continue to apply measures to reduce the impacts of the pandemic. Our findings and analysis indicated that agricultural systems were vulnerable and that the agricultural sector must be closely monitored and supported to maintain food security in times of crisis. For food security and better resilience of agri-food systems in Romania, the study identified needs for more automation and mechanization in farms, digital solutions for the public and private sector and continuous dialogue between farmers and authorities. We suggest the pandemic can be an opportunity for the reevaluation of agricultural production systems in Romania and beyond, and for the development of more innovative strategies, sustainable practices and digital solutions in agriculture. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-021-01239-8.