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This volume includes four sections of the 2020 NORDSCI international conference proceedings: (1) Education and Educational Research; (2) Language and Linguistics; (3) Philosophy; and (4) Sociology and Healthcare. Education and Educational Research includes 15 papers covering the full spectrum of education, including history, sociology and economy of education, educational policy, strategy and technologies. This section also covers pedagogy and special education. Language and Linguistics includes 6 papers covering topics related to theoretical, literary and historical linguistics, as well as stylistics and philology. The Philosophy section includes 2 papers and covers the full spectrum of philosophy history, methods, foundation, society studies and the interpretation of philosophy. The Sociology and Healthcare section has 9 papers covering topics related to human society, social structures, and social change, healthcare systems and healthcare services. [Individual papers from the Education and Educational Research section of these proceedings are indexed in ERIC.]

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2016--END 2016, taking place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 12 to 14 of June. Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. Our International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2016 received 489 submissions, from 53 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It was accepted for presentation in the conference, 133 submissions (27% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from an internationally distinguished researcher, Professor Dr. Mojca Juriševic, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, to whom we express our most gratitude. Also, we give a special thanks to Professor Emerita Nina K. Buchanan, PhD, University of Hawaii, USA and Professor Emeritus Robert A. Fox, PhD, University of Hawaii, USA for the special talk entitled "The Search for New Educational Forms in the United States and its International Implications." This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2016), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and had the help of our respected co-sponsor and media partner that we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also covers different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity; Extra-curricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change, Corporate Education. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

In the last years local development has undeniably become one of the dominant elements for productivity growth strategy employment, human welfare, entrepreneurship promotion, obtaining human capital and income increase. Assuring sustainable development for a specific region is a complex process in the measure in which this process is subjected to some factors which cannot be controlled by a local, regional, or national administration. The entire post-revolution and post-accession experience, cumulate with good policy making transferred by Romania to European Union, proves that private public partnership is a viable solution for successfully solving some communitarian problems, public interests starting with social services and complex social-economic development projects including infrastructure projects. The present paper focuses on sustainable development and the specific objectives that Romania intends to achieve in order to reach a new model of development that is capable of generating high value added, is interested in knowledge and innovation, and aims to improve the quality of life in harmony with the natural environment. The paper also analyses the process of local development that Romania started in 2000 with the financial support of United Nations Development Programme - “Romania within the framework of Local Agenda 21” and continued within Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013 and now,2020-2030 Sustainable development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If we refer to the sustainable development of a territory, it can be stated that the natural resources and implicitly the land resources, occupy the central place within this process, in this case, the land use can be seen as an "indicator" element of the trends of the process of sustainable development. The specialized literature shows, in various studies, the direct and indirect influence of the relief on the way of land use, implicitly on the distribution of grasslands, through altitude, slope or morphometric characteristics. In this context, the paper aims, in a holistic approach, to make an analysis of the distribution of grassland areas on altitudinal floors to quantify their share in relation to other categories of land use, depending on specific local factors (natural and anthropogenic). Two regions were selected that extend over an altitude range of approx. 1200 m, from 200 m, in the depression area, to 1340 m, in the mountain area, located in western Romania. The distribution of land use categories, respectively grassland areas, was analyzed in the GIS environment, based on Corine Land Cover data. The overlay analysis found that the grasslands are distributed on all defined altitudinal floors, in different environmental conditions, but their proportion is different, depending on local conditions. Differences were also found in the occupation of the space: in the low area, the grasslands are found on fragmented areas, interspersed with arable land and in the hilly and mountainous areas, the areas of grasslands are larger, compact, positioned at the edge of the forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability, land use and sustainability are some of the main elements of major concern in the last decades that can be translated in practice through efficient development and planning. The role land use plays is recognized worldwide due to the rapid and continuous urban growth and development, which determine the occurrence of new powerful forces leading to social, demographical, environmental, technological and governmental changes. The large number of disasters in recent years demonstrated that the most effective and accessible method of reducing the pressure exerted by natural and technological risks is to reduce the level of vulnerability of communities exposed to a particular hazard. The vulnerability of populated areas to natural and technological disasters is also exacerbated by the decades of inefficient spatial planning policies that did not incorporate hazards and risks. This paper is aiming to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies, by assessing the need of a new methodology that will incorporate vulnerability reduction into spatial planning. The paper focuses on a case study of a developing country in SE Europe, Romania, using high resolution data obtained from the Urban Atlas inventory. The discussion and results section illustrates the spatial development of urban and rural areas in Romania in the last years. Moreover, this section demonstrates the impact of land use changes on vulnerability and the need to develop future sustainable development policies that can support decision makers, coming from the public or the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural economy is more developed and more dynamic if it has a more diverse structure, and if the share of non-agricultural economy is higher. In this context, the agrotourism is a field that is growing in popularity as producers try to diversify their activities and increase profits that can support economic development in the countryside through sustainable use of tourism resources and maintaining the rural community cultural and social diversity. Our paper focuses on specific opportunities and constraints that influence the progress of agrotourism activities as viable entrepreneurial solutions for self-sustainable rural communities in Romania from the perspective of European integration. The results have shown that agrotourism activity in the areas where it was implemented and developed, had a very strong and favourable impact not only on the economic and touristic framework of localities, but also on their social, cultural, spiritual and even ecological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk communication facilitates the understanding of risks by the local communities and results in a higher acceptance degree of the people regarding the management of risks. Constant communication between all stakeholders on topics like community sustainable development (including environmental risk management) leads to a better local governance and a higher public engagement in the problems of the community, leading to improved behavior patterns. Moreover, broader and more effective community engagement is greatly encouraged in the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development through citizen science and community-based participatory research initiatives. In complex contexts, citizen science appears as an indispensable tool given the historical and micro-spatial patterning of environmental problems. This paper focuses on a case which includes three former/still active mining areas and it aims to identify the stakeholders involved in risk communication, their main themes of interest and some tailored methods for public participation, in line with their needs and opinions on the existing risks. The results of the research in these areas revealed a high potential for learning in the local mining communities and their openness towards scientific information and citizen science initiatives. This is a potential that could be capitalized for a higher public engagement in the management of environmental issues of the area and for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the practices of companies present on the Romanian market which are preventing and controlling the pollution in their areas of expertise. Many of the companies are trying to find solutions to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, some of them pleading for the importance of keeping the environment safe, the ecosystems protected, and the degree of pollution at a lower level. Given the massive use of fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources and the international commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, care to natural resources and pollution reduction becomes essential in ensuring access of future generations to a safe and healthy life. In today's time, technology plays an essential role in the management of a company, naturally it cannot be absent from the solutions thought to reduce air and water pollution. Hence, the importance of the existing solutions which could be considered innovative measures. The purpose of this paper is to determine the pollution situation and the factors that contributed to it. At the same time, it will present the evolution of the practices applied by companies to combat water and air pollution, so far. The methodology is based on an analysis of the Public S ustainability Reports from the past years, of the activity of the companies on the Romanian market. Through sustainability reports, large companies present the evolution and results of the applied solutions. Anti-pollution practices can be classified according to their field of activity and type of activity. The study contributes to the review of the literature by focusing on the practices implemented by companies in relation to work and the natural environment at the borders of Romania. Companies embrace the fight against pollution, including this as part of their sustainability strategy, as a goal which can be achieved only with teamwork, with the stakeholder's involvement: employees, customers, suppliers, and all those stakeholders who stand for the same values, taking action and using concrete facts to follow the strategy to make an impact for the better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism is one of the most rapidly developing new forms of the tourism industry which started to gain ground considerably by the end of the 20th century. This is the new trend in promoting a conscious and sustainable form of tourism with regards to the inherited natural environment and which promotes education, protection and preservation of the natural environment, economic growth and social development of the local communities. Thus in this paper we would like to present some of the aspects of the actual state of the ecotourism trends and forms in the Giurgeu Depression and how the natural protected areas and their ecotouristic exploitation should play a much vital place in the life of the local communities and how these are or could be integrated in the tourism offers of the area. The Giurgeu Depression is one of two intra-mountainous depressions and is located in the central part of the country and in the central-western part of the Eastern Carpathians Central Compartment. The Giurgeu Depression subunit developed on the upper course of the Mures Rives on approximatively 50 km in length and 12 km in width. It has north-west south-east orientation. Genetically the regional system Giurgeu has a very complex origin (tectonic, volcanic barrier and due to erosion), proven by the very steep slopes and lithological faults which delimit them, together with the piedmonts and low terraces from the peripheries. It has sunken compartments, segmented by the Neogene volcanic mountain chains of Căliman-Gurghiu from the crystalline-Mesozoic and flysch ranges of the Moldo-Transylvanian Carpathian mountain chains. The area being an intra-mountainous depression, has preserved many characteristics and remnants of the last glacial age, with endemic species of plants and animals. The Giurgeu Depression is very rich in such places, several of which after the year 2000 were declared by law natural protected areas. These natural protected areas are: Șugău Cave (Suseni), Piemontul Nyíres from Borzont (Joseni), Mlaștina cea Mare Swamp (Remetea), Mlaștina După Luncă Swamp (Voslabeni), Thermal Waterfall Toplița (Toplita), published in the Monitorul Oficial of Romania Nr. 152 from 12th April 2000, Law Nr.5 from 6th March in 2000. Ecotourism in the area is gaining ground and is becoming a form of tourism which will help protect the endemic and endangered floristic and faunistic wealth for which reason this area is rightfully renowned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way people perceive risks determines their reactions to and engagement in public campaigns, new development projects or clean-up and remediation initiatives. Since local communities represent important stakeholders in the sustainable development of a region, their beliefs and social representations of risk are important indicators that need a careful analysis. Mining communities are of particular interest to social and environmental scientists given the long-term pollution resulting from such activities and the exposure to harmful chemical compounds. The paper examines the perception of environmental risks induced by mining in one still active and two former mining areas in the Apuseni Mountains (Alba County), in Romania. The results achieved from 292 questionnaires are interpreted in order to determine the locals’ knowledge on and perception of the environmental risks they are exposed to. The results represent the input for improved local governance, as well as community engagement opportunities in the sustainable development of this mining region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented crisis humanity has been facing for almost two years now has had tremendous impact on the entire tourism ecosystem. The dramatic decline in the international tourism economy must be addressed both at an international and national level, with recovery strategies that can provide solutions for structural transformation. Particularly convenient for the Romanian landscape is the development of sustainable domestic tourism, which could quickly prove profitable for the entire HoReCa sector. The current paper focuses on The Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, the measures taken to encourage domestic tourism and its communication efforts, as seen online by the stay-at-home Romanians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses two important themes in Romanian society of the recent years, the decentralization process and the territorial reform. Especially the last one was seen sometimes as a heal-all remedy in a number of countries, either with consolidated democracy (the Scandinavian countries, for instance), but also for the states in transition from the Eastern part of Europe (for e.g. Greece accomplished a full territorial reform in recent years and a lot of other countries in the region, including Romania, debate such a possible reform). Using a comparative approach, the paper focuses on the reforms made in other countries, their impact on local communities and on the institutional performance improvement. The paper analyzes the process of decentralization and territorial reform on two levels: first, it deals with what the two mentioned processes mean, trying to eliminate some common confusions. Sociological studies also show that the level of trust is higher as relates to local authorities. This is an opportunity for decentralization and transfers of competencies at the local level as a tool for more responsive, competitive and transparent decision-making process. But the unanswered question remains whether they are to become that way, our opinion being that it is not enough to change the legal framework. Secondly, the article presents the pros and cons arguments, the implications of the two processes on the sustainable development of the local communities in Romania, taking into account the differences between rural and urban area. Using different sets of data, the main argument used by the supporters of the reforms is analysed, according to which the two processes will lead to a higher degree of both administrative and economic performance. The conclusion of the analysis being that, even if it is important, it is not enough to have more populated communities in order to achieve economic and administrative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining has been for centuries the main economic activity in the Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, NW of Romania. However, due to the low level of productivity and high production costs, the extractive industry became over the last twenty years one of the large uncompetitive sectors of the Romanian economy. The study area is one where mining activities have impacted both the environment and the social and economic state of the region and it comprises three mining areas located in Alba County: Baia de Arieş Mining Area; Abrud – Roşia Montană – Roşia Poieni Mining Area and Zlatna - Almaşu Mare Mining Area, totaling approx. 30,000 people. The main ores exploited in the study area were gold, silver and polymetallic ores, with only one copper mine open at present. The paper presents a comparative vulnerability analysis of the three mining areas, taking into account vulnerability indicators from the environmental and socio-economic aspects of the studied area. The findings indicate vulnerability levels varying from low to high, depending on the specificities of the area, the high values being accounted for by the long history and the extent of mining operations. The socio-demographic indicators contribute most to the increased vulnerability levels, because of the high demographic dependency rate, high demographic aging, and high migration rate. The economic aspects and environmental issues add to the overall vulnerability, hence sustainable development issues need to be tackled in the entire mining perimeter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context of the accelerated fall in global cumulated oil reserves with an increase in annual oil consumption was the opportunity for the development and production of green cars. This paper aims to study the link between the sale of ecological vehicles and its impact on the pillars of sustainable development, respectively the social, environmental and economic pillar. This way we can identify a number of factors limiting the sale of ecological vehicles. Although these factors are analyzed in other countries of the European Union, they are related to the economic specificity, the gross domestic product and the purchasing power generally existing in Romania. Solutions used in other EU countries can not be applied without having similar conditions. Our country's energy dependence has increased from 58.5% in 2010 to 62.4% in 2015, requiring us to look for sustainable solutions to reduce CO2 production in transportation. Increasing the number of electric cars can be an important solution in the context of global climate change and the alarming increase in greenhouse gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global need for specific actions intended at reducing the climatic changes, the regional disparities and increasing the quality of life have led to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 main focal points acknowledged by all the United Nations Organization (UN)members as totally necessary for contributing to ensuring a global sustainable development. Even so, not all the countries have developed their own National Sustainable Development Strategy, due to different factors such as a very high poverty level or other pressing problems (such as wars) which area priority to solve before considering the sustainability of the country. As part of the United Nations and the European Union, Romania understood its role as an active actor in turning to a sustainable development and applying the 17 goals to the national specificity. In this case, in late 2018 Romania's National Strategy for Sustainable Development has been officially launched, following the evaluation and approval of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The main objective of the paper is to critically analyze the construction of the Strategy and to see if it follows the 17 Sustainable Goals as a strict rule or if there are correlations with the national needs and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drinks sector has increasingly diversified lately on the basis of complying with the consumers’ demands as well as on the necessity of adopting sustainable practices imposed by the resource depletion and climate change challenges. This research aims to present an overview of the drinks market at Romanian level since 2013 by considering also the sustainability component. Two methods are applied for a better analysis of this subject: the bibliometric analysis and the statistical analysis of the drinks market. Initially, the bibliometric analysis is conducted by reviewing quantitatively the scientific literature on drinks from Web of Science and Scopus databases. Secondly, the statistical analysis of secondary data collected from Eurostat on drinks production, consumption, prices, trade, emissions and employment is conducted to emphasize the evolution of the Romanian drinks market since 2013. Finally, this research indicates solutions towards sustainability, by adopting the required measures for developing the drinks sector in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current European and international concerns on economic growth are embracing the stimulation of innovation and research, by generating new knowledge to ensure the competitiveness of organizations regardless of type, size, and operating industry. The paper addressed the issue of innovation for sustainable economic growth and investigated main factors responsible for innovation potential within Romanian business sector. The research methodology envisaged statically analysis of data by highlighting the results of univariate analysis for demographic profile of the sample, followed by the investigation of relations between types of innovation, level of investment and organizational characteristics. The results quantified and ranked the opinions related to different factors which should be taken into consideration for organizational innovation. Considering these findings, the author shared his view by making suitable recommendations for stepping up the organizational innovation potential, taking into consideration the Romanian business circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, some traditional foods present risk of disappearing due to altered lifestyle. In this paper we address the concept of sustainable which referring to time, a long time. Sustainable process must be converted to sustainable human development, oriented mainly towards quality of life and environment in special for obtain traditional products "local", by creating ethical relations between consumers and producers, in an era of globalization, industrialization and products standardized. The conservation and valorization of local/traditional products could increase the adoption of more sustainable agricultural systems together with the adoption of practices more restrictive regarding of environment and the natural habitats. So, biodiversity in the food systems is absolutely crucial for both a sustainable food production and food security. Diets based on different food species promote health by addressing the problem of micronutrient and vitamin deficiencies. Therefore, it seems that the transition towards sustainable forms of agriculture cannot be deferred further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current economic crisis has pushed the concerns for corporate sustainability to the top of the business world's agenda. This paper aims to present findings of an ongoing research project at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The research investigates the organizational inner characteristics that can lead to sustainable business performance. The fundamental question running through our research is about the internal workings of companies when they develop strategies. Why only some companies proactively adopt sustainability strategies while others seem to remain rather reactive in their behavior towards social and environmental factors? What are the typical inner organizational features that make companies commit to actively seeking and responding to stakeholder concerns? This paper is based on qualitative theoretical research and the originality of our approach consists in the hypothesized relationship between the learning organization paradigm and business sustainability. We have conducted an extensive literature review, briefly presented in the paper, which supports the widely accepted idea that responding strategically to the continuously changing environment is instrumental in building sustainability. Yet, many cases suggest that pursuing a predominantly market-centric strategy fulfills just the necessary condition for business sustainability. Long-term company prosperity requires factoring social and environmental concerns into business conduct. Companies capable of developing and successfully implementing strategies based on blending business interests with relevant stakeholders' expectations will set themselves apart from competitors and will greatly improve their prospects for sustainability. We have developed a conceptual framework that exploits what we believe is the role of the learning organization paragon in designing the basics of an organization with high prospects for sustainability, capable of staying the course towards long-term business performance. The model and its theoretical substantiation are presented. The paper's conclusions recognize the limits of the underlying models and of the proposed framework and outline issues we will be addressing in further research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex field of Conservation Science requires a gradual interdisciplinary approach and recently, more and more categories of experts involved in cultural heritage activities use GIS technologies to investigate the aspects of a local heritage. This paper aims to present the current conservation status of some old ecclesiastical buildings of Iasi, a city which represents an ancient religious, cultural, academic and economic urban centre of Romania, correlated to the traces of the human life (socio-cultural and economic) and community attitude towards ecclesiastical heritage. For this purpose, the studies have been conducted on the local monuments using GIS technologies for a better understanding and valorisation of the cultural heritage in an integrated manner. First we created a spatial database of ecclesiastical heritage included into the most recent national list of cultural heritage, in 2015. Then we attached specific attributes such as the year or period of construction, the year of the last interventions/restorations/reconstructions over time, etc. to each vector object. In this way it was possible to generate a number of maps that emphasize the old ecclesiastic city centre, the monuments in unstable areas etc. This attributes data base can be updated in real time, and in this way the governmental institutions can decide their conservation policies in a more accurate way, comparing with the traditional methods. The updated data regarding the conservation status of ecclesiastical heritage represent an important component in monitoring, protection and valorisation processes of local heritage and, in the same time, offer the possibility to involve the members of local community into heritage management for a sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable land management (SLM) is a procedure based on knowledge that aims at integrating the management of land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources to meet the current human needs, while protecting the resources for the future generations. World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) is a global network of SLM specialists, institutions and national / regional initiatives that provides tools and methods that allow SLM specialists to document local knowledge and make it accessible at international level. This paper presents a WOCAT case study application in a country from Eastern Europe (Romania), a region where little knowledge has been documented in this manner. In Romania, the concept of SLM is applied too little, and although "traditional" SLM practices have been used for centuries they remain knowledge disseminated and accessible only at local level. The importance of documenting knowledge in order to make it accessible at international level has a vital importance for the future of SLM concept and for the future sustainable development of the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerabilities of urban water infrastructure and services affect environmental performance and life quality (including health). This study is part of a comprehensive framework aiming to implement practices that respond simultaneously to the basic needs of prevention, mitigation and the long-term adapting process to the risks posed by natural hazards and the socio-economic change in order to attain sustainable urban development. Starting from the hypothesis that there are different rhythms between the social economic dynamics of the city and its capacity to adapt and innovate public infrastructure utilities, the present paper analyses the relation between the types of piping materials and the drinking water quality related to its importance for the city's population. In February 2015, 35 drinking water samples were collected from different consumption points and tested in order to determine the content of soluble forms of heavy metals and other elements using ICP-MS equipment. The results were processed using basic statistical analysis in order to establish correlations among analyzed variables. Secondly, GIS was used in order to visualize and highlight the spatial relation between water quality, the type of pipes and the number of users. The study concludes that, in our specific case study, the material of the pipes has a limited influence on the quality of the drinking water, while water supply pipes inside the residential buildings may be responsible, to a higher extent, of the values exceeding the maximum allowed limits, which finally affects vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is finding viable methods of rehabilitation and re-use of the cultural heritage in rural areas by efficient contemporary technological and architectural solutions. In this respect, this paper describes the phases of an environmental-friendly intervention on an archaeological site near the village Şiria, Arad County, as case study, the expected results and the steps which must be taken in order to implement the proposal. The final aim is to create a complex and sustainable tourist attraction through musealisation, integrated in the already known, but poorly promoted tourist itinerary, known as The Wine Path - Şiria is in a wine-growing region first documented in the 9th century. The proposed design reflects our sustainable approach by combining local materials with non-invasive structural solutions and efficient solar technologies. The purpose of this approach is to reduce the building's maintenance costs nearly to 0 and to extend the visiting time of the archaeological site during the entire year, whatever the weather or season. The proposals are to be submitted to the County Council, having issued the Strategy for Tourist Development for Arad County, elaborated in 2011 by The Analysis for Institutional Development Centre - Bucharest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green public procurement has become, in recent years, a more often central topic to the attention of authorities, public and private sector. Green public procurement is a way to achieve the global goals of sustainable development - protecting the environment, encouraging innovation and clean technologies, inducing responsible production and consumption. Although in Romania the development of the Green public procurement is still in early stage (20% of the country's GDP), the law on green public procurement is an important step towards Romania's accession to the European Union's environmental policy. In this direction, the National Green Public Procurement Plan sets mandatory multi-annual targets for green public procurement and the contracting authorities have the obligation to fulfill the multi-annual targets for green public procurement. Moreover, an important achievement is the adoption of the Green Public Procurement Guide, developed by the Ministry of Environment and the National Agency for Public Procurement in Romania, which includes the minimum requirements on environmental protection for certain groups of products and services required at the level of specifications. Regarding the promotion of the Green public procurement (GPP) Best project, although the efforts were considerable, the Green public procurement pilot project faced a number of challenges. The purpose of this article is to analyze the regulatory framework, the pilot initiatives, as well the implementation of the Green Public Procurement area in Romania. The adoption of the regulatory framework is just one step and, for this environmental policy to be effective, sustained actions are needed to raise awareness of the importance of the role of green public procurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands, some of the most important resources of mountain areas, have been and are subject to changes, both in time and in space, under the action of natural and/or anthropogenic factors. In this context, the research aims, in the first stage, to identify and quantify the areas of grasslands subject to changes, both through surface losses and gains, and in the second stage, to establish the general direction of changes, at regional level. As a case study, the area of the Banat Mountains, from southwest Romania, was selected, a very complex area from a physical-geographical and socio-economic point of view. The analysis of grassland areas and implicitly the changes produced, was made in the GIS environment, based on Corine Land Cover data, over a period of approximately thirty years. As a result of the research, it was found that the areas of grasslands were "mobilized" by adding areas from other categories of use (orchards, lands with natural vegetation and so on), but also by switching to other categories of use, especially in high mountain areas, through afforestation. Also, the study showed important differences in territorial profile, of great importance for local communities and the economy of the mountain area. Monitoring changes in grassland areas is also particularly important in terms of management strategies or sustainable development of mountain areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal, a fossil fuel continues to be one of the most important energy sources. The value of coal used on the global energy market has fallen between 1995-2001 years from 40% to 25%. The 33% is used on the thermal power station. Under this circumstance, the coal deposit is principled energetic source, yet. The paper presents our energetic policy and the prospect the energy market in Romania in which the coal mining becomes partner for sustainable development and on the energy strategy applies in practice capitalization of renewable energy potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energetic resources represent a key factor in the consolidation of every high competitive and well functioning market economy, through the very important role that they have in assuring the competitiveness of the economic system components. Romania has a good technical potential concerning the renewable sources of energy, but that potential are inefficiently evaluate in the present. The paper main aim is to present some results about the renewable energy potential of Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to approach a relatively new topic: international cooperation for sustainable development. The first part of this paper is a theoretical construct which deals with the connection that exists between its main variables: globalization, democratization and development. This part of the paper also brings into evidence the necessity and importance of international cooperation for sustainable development (SD) during the globalization era. The second part of the paper aims to briefly analyse the importance and practice of education for sustainable development (ESD) in our contemporary society: the case of Romania. Conclusions represent the object of the last part of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partnership between the UNICERT specialists of the International Group and a research team from the University "Politehnica" has result from a volume of information on sustainable development directions of companies that have implemented specific standardization s ystems. This paper presents the results of studies with reference to how the rigors of the implementation of standardization innovatively affect companies and how to ensure their sustainable development after implementation. Other examples are based on the results of monitoring carried out for various companies where standardization was implemented, the conclusions drawn highlighting the factors that ensure the sustainable development of companies through which they promote innovative elements, but also how to ensure leadership in order to achieve good results compared to previous periods of standards implementation'. The paper highlights aspects of how sustainable development can support social change, creating thus new economically sustainable values, all this after obtaining the certificate of conformity and by taking the reports of the first surveillance audit into consideration, audit that was held on a yearly basis, starting with the initial certification audit. Briefly, the study findings can be of relevance following the synthesis of observations made in several companies: The survey initially target ed 20 companies and has been extended to companies that have a functional system of minimum of 1year. The study was conducted for two months, during which advantages and possible issues arising from obtaining certificates of conformity have been identified. A common element for all studied companies, after the implementation of the Quality Management and Environment System (in various versions) is that they went through a transitional period in order to assimilate the new conditions imposed by the new quality system, this period was different (between 2.5 months to 6 months), taking into account several factors such as: the structure and complexity of the manufacturing process, the quality of the human resources used, the leadership that was promoted in order to obtain positive results from the implementation of the quality system, the employees compensation system, the manufacturing and program structure of delivery deadlines. From the point of view of the end results of this period, the following was noticed: a stagnation and a decrease in production volumes assortment, a stabilization and reduction of costs that define the products' quality, a performance spill over effects based manufacturing system (a positive individual attitude to the general goals of companies, participation and active involve mentain concrete problems due to the increase in labour productivity in the workplace. The transitional period was followed by a period of enhanced value generating processes, because working methodologies that comply with the provisions imposed by the quality system implementation have been assimilated by work stations; moreover, where the synergistic effect of new assimilation working methods could be compared, the results were well above expectations of the management team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the analysis and development capacity of tourist accommodation among ago tourist guesthouses in Neamţ County during 2005-2011. There were taken into account and analyzed indicators such as agro tourist guesthouses in the total accommodation structures, available capacity within agro tourist guesthouses in the total accommodation structure (in number of seats), accommodation capacity in operation in agro tourist guesthouses in all structures of accommodation in Neamţ County (expressed in number of seats-days). Thus it appears that during 2005-2011 the highest rate of agro tourist guesthouses was in 2009 where from the total of 187 accommodation units agro tourist guesthouses had a total of 115 respectively 61.49%; the existing accommodation capacity within agro tourist guesthouses in the total accommodation structures in Neamţ County during 2005-2011 (expressed in number of seats) has also peaked in 2009 through a number of 1709 agro tourist guesthouses from a total of 5446 accommodation structures; the highest value in the number of places-days within agro tourist guesthouses is met in 2009 where from a total number of 1,563,148 seats-days in the county, agro tourist guesthouses represented 30.12% of these namely 470,885. There are analyzed the ways of implementing the local Plan for sustainable development of Neamţ County for 2007-2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is a analyse of the exploitation structures, the evolution of the land resource in the agriculture focussed on the part and place of the individual-peasant farms in agricultural economy of Romania. The farms were grouped by size and in each group is calculated the weight in agricultural aria, average size in hectares, number of the animals for the main species average per farm, density per 100 ha. Is compared economic performances of the individual peasant farms with those of the units with legal status, great sized. On the basis of the results obtained is evident the economic and social role of the individual peasant farms in sense off the durable rural development concept. Is proposed adjustment of much support for the purpose of increasing the performances of this category of farms inclusively by increasing their size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian rural areas need revitalization and increasing territorial competitiveness. The "territorial projects" designed from the Local Action Groups, may become a new governance model for the search of regional competitiveness. The objective of this paper is to analyze the critical factors affecting territorial competitiveness in Romania and in the economic sustainability of rural areas. The competitiveness analysis is conducted in the context of the European Network for Rural Development. The methodology used for the analysis is based on the WWP model, which integrates elements of planning as social learning, economic sustainability and Networking Knowledge for Rural Development. The results show that the main limiting factors for regional competitiveness are focused on three dimensions or components: social-ethical, political-contextual and technical-entrepreneurial. Challenges and changes necessary for effective implementation of LEADER under conditions of global market relations are submitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development has been identified as a top priority problem in construction works. Directives and standards have been developed which are intended to encourage the implementation of sustainable criteria in the life cycle stages of a construction work. The paper presents an evaluation model developed by the authors. The global model is a comprehensive tool, which can be applied mainly on residential buildings. The utility of such model is important in the assessment of a construction work, because it converts sustainability issues into quantifiable goals, which are easier to understand, to use and to apply. The model is used for the sustainability assessment of a new residential dwelling, situated near to Timisoara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, in the process of mining restructuring, that was initiated after 1990, many ineffective and unpromising excavations - mines and blow-hole - were closed. This action has led to layoffs of staff from mining field with negative consequences on socio-economic life in the area. A very delicate problem represents the mining waste such as tailings pond and waste dumps, their revegetation and reintegration into the local landscape in order to protect the environment and to achieve a local sustainable development. This paper presents the current socio-economic issues in the area and the results of laboratory analysis regarding the heavy metals content in contaminated soil samples. The studies conducted in this paper led to proposed measures for reducing the negative effects of the waste dumps and tailings pond on the environment and for improving the quality of life for the population from the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve corporate sustainable performance, a company must go beyond the simple compliance to the legislative requirements. In this context, eco-innovation plays a key role in achieving global sustainability goals and objectives of organizations, especially those related to the environmental component of sustainability. While most researchers have given considerable attention to the various methods and tools directed at measuring eco-innovation and sustainability at the macro-economic level, very few studies deal with these metrics at the micro-economic level. In this context, the purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, after a thorough literature review, it will offer a clear presentation of the main indicators used in assessing corporate sustainability and environmental performance of organizations, with an emphasis on eco-innovation. Secondly, the paper will harness the results of a questionnaire-based study developed by the authors among companies operating on the Romanian market to identify their preoccupations for eco-innovation and for assessing environmental performance via indicators. The authors also provide examples of environmental sustainability metrics from the analysis of sustainability reports of several sample companies active in the construction, oil and gas, fast moving consumer goods, telecommunications and banking sectors. These serve to illustrate the diversity of sustainability metrics used to assess environmental performance, rather than as examples of best practice. The exploratory questionnaire-based research findings confirm the international sustainable development trend, as an increasing number of large, medium and small enterprises active in Romania started to incorporate sustainability into their business strategies. However, many of the organizations participating in the research do not assess the environmental performance and have no clear evidence of the costs involved, nor a precise monitoring of the results associated with the implementation of sustainability measures in the business strategy. Therefore, the authors argue for the importance of creating a framework and selecting appropriate indicators that quantify sustainability and environmental performance, and make suggestions for developing such a framework. The value this paper lies in approaching an innovative subject, in the context of a lack of consolidated data on ecoinnovation and corporate sustainability metrics. Furthermore, the article has numerous practical implications, as it represents a useful source of information for practitioners interested in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed study analyzes the evolution of relations between the increase in investment growth and the increase in the number of jobs, considered from the perspective of capital growth and environmental preservation. This paper focuses on some economic measures adopted in the current economic crisis in Romania, which have the potential to affect the environment, with a regional level relevance. Special attention is given to the relationship between investment policies, which generate major environmental impact and social policies aimed at increasing the employment at local level. We considered during the analysis the interdependence between the provisions contained in international trade agreements and all rules are intended to protect the environment in sustainable development. The timeliness of the requirements established at European and global environment with the purpose to conserve biodiversity was also underlined. The need to adopt measures referring to increased transparency in investment decision-making system for natural resources exploitation and adequately assess the environmental impact was discussed. In the same time we have detailed the effect of environmental protection measures on access to markets, paying special attention to strengthening labor market and social protection measures. Effective means to reduce emissions is to release their expensive nature. The introduction of taxes on pollution led to the development of economic models, the level of pollution was reduced, increased economic efficiency and in the same time, the premises for sustainable development were introduced. This paper assesses the extent to which they can help accelerate growth and improve competitiveness of enterprises in the context of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local rural communities of Romania have been strongly affected by the historian evolution in former decades by social- economic system evolution. To these ones, there have been added a period of almost fifty years of a social system based on centralized economy and, afterwards, Romanian economy was and is marked by the period of transition towards the market economy. All of these periods determined a peculiar social - economic relationship and, in fact, behaviors of the rural inhabitants, as ones between the ones of the temptations or obligations of leaving for the urban settlings. In many cases this lead to the phenomenon of uprooting. The last fifteen years there were villages came back in the centre of many of the politicians', theorists' and practicians' preoccupations. The enlarged Europe also raises problems and question marks in regard to the economic and social development of the local communities in the Romanian rural environment. These uncertainties appear in a period in which we are more and more convinced of the necessity of the sustainable development, of the perpetuation of a responsible economic development, which would ensure the satisfaction of society's needs without endangering future generations. Those presented are accompanied by more and more accentuated tendency of the civilized world of living in good terms with the environment, of spending more time in nature, of being closer to all which is clean, alive and quiet. The number of those that ask for holidays in nature, in the rural environment is growing all over the globe. Soft tourism, in the countryside or in the middle of nature is more and more desired by the rich, but stressed people, eager to return to nature, to the life of the rural communities. All these forms of tourism are called ecotourism, and their development in Romania is only beginning. These activities play an important part in the economic development of rural areas, which will further reflect upon their future evolution. The paper studies the experience gained by The Bukovina (Bucovina) region, a wellknown and famous one for its tourism potential and resources, aiming at an interdisciplinary approach of tourism. The issue propose for analyze the rule and the impact of tourism upon the protected areas and on local communities situated in this region, from an economic and social point of view, by means of the inference of the ecotourism strategy, which was adapted by the Ministry of Tourism to the Bukovina Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper objective is to assess the social responsibility issues among the SMEs in Romania. We seek to find the main characteristics of responsible citizenship among the SME sector and its internal and external drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the new context of European urban and environmental politics, Romania's small towns must go directly toward sustainability in order to ensure high life quality for their communities on the long term. The smallest urban settlements of Romania are confronted with diverse issues due to the former communist regime, the adaptation to the market economy, the planning policy of the sate and historical environment state. As many urban sustainability assessment methods were developed in literature, the present study is focus upon interrelations and interdependencies of social, economic and environmental development evaluation, applied in the case of small Romanian towns-which can play, at local level, a significant role of polarization or decentralization phenomenon. The paper tries to offer a geographical image of the urban development in order to help minimizing the gap among theory and practice and to offer a tool for estimation of sustainability both for local authorities and case-studies research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify the environmental fiscal burden's volume and the structure and also to assess its impact upon the enterprises performance. Beside that we are interested to evaluate the main environmental taxes and fees efficiency in terms of environmental protection and remediation. It is our strong believe that following the sustainable development principles the economic performance and environmental protection can and must coexist in the benefit of communities and at a larger scale of human kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic objective of macroeconomic management, sustainable development implies the identification of an interaction space between economic, social, environmental and technological systems, in a dynamic and flexible process of functioning. Starting from fundamental macroeconomic principles, the paper synthesizes relevant aspects concerning planning, as main instrument of macroeconomic management and macroeconomic modelling, as a basis of substantiating development strategies. Likewise, the paper presents a mix of politics which operationalization could register Romania on sustainable development coordinates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on sustainable development and the specific objectives that Romania intends to achieve in order to reach a new model of development that is capable of generating high value added, is interested in knowledge and innovation, and aims to improve the quality of life in harmony with the natural environment. The paper also analyzes the process of local development that Romania started in 2000 with the financial support of United Nations Development Programme - "Romania within the framework of Local Agenda 21" and continued within Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013. Finally, the study reveals the regional and local development priorities established by Romania within "The National Sustainable Development Strategy" for the next period of time - 2013-2020 -2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial crisis has seriously impacted the economies around the world, emerging and developed alike. With interest rates at historical low levels, constrained in many cases by the zero lower bound, the emphasis is put on fiscal policy to restore the economies on the path of sustainable growth. This paper attempts to shed light on the issue of fiscal sustainability of the Romanian economy, by checking if the intertemporal fiscal constraint of the government is respected. According to the constraint, the current value of debt equals the sum of the discounted values of future government surpluses, which means that the government is not financing itself through a Ponzi scheme. I build on the econometric approach used in papers such as Hamilton and Flavin (1986), Hakkio and Rush (1991), Quintos (1995), Santos Bravo and Silvestre (2002), Bohn (2007). More specifically, I focus on the time series properties of government debt, revenue and expenditure, determining: i) the order of integration for the government debt series; ii) whether or not government revenue and expenditure are cointegrated. Thus I am able to evaluate the strength of the fiscal position of the Romanian economy and to see the impact of the financial crisis on this position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility has become a buzzword for enterprises of all sizes. Affected by the economic and financial crisis, enterprises, no matter their size, need to identify business opportunities for a sustainable development and able to stimulate their creativity and innovation, enter new markets and to identify new business models. The current period is one of high complexity with implications not only on the economic side, but also on the social, moral and behavioural aspects. The analysis of social responsibility of enterprises is a complex issue which requires trans and inter-disciplinary approaches. This is a challenge especially for the Romanian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Issues of social responsibility have been little studied at the SMEs level, despite their obvious theoretical, empirical and policy interest while most of the attention in terms of social responsibility activities and behavior was directed towards larger companies. Companies of all sizes have recognised their role in society and the real benefits of a proactive approach to social responsibility. Even though the social responsibility concept has been largely associated with multinational companies, the SMEs have a high potential for involving in socially responsible activities. The aim of this paper is to look into the social responsibility related behavior of SMEs as a competitive advantage for these enterprises. The paper is based on a research on the SMEs perception regarding their involvement in socially responsible activities as a competitive advantage for them. The case-study is based SMEs questioned from the Arges county, Romania. After considering the theoretical aspects in the literature review section, the paper draws on the research conducted with SMEs from the region. Results show that involvement in socially responsible activities (measured through selected indicators) is an element of competitive advantage for SMEs. The last section of the paper concludes and provides some recommendations and further research areas to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to present generally aspects looking the environment protection in Romania through the POS environment referential, with have, as overall objectives the protection and the improvement both of the environmental quality and living standards in Romania. For a better understanding of it, the paper present the specific objectives of the reminded referential (the quality improvement and the access to water and wastewater infrastructure, by providing water and sanitation in most urban areas by 2015 and the establishing of the efficient regional structures for the management of the water/wastewater services; the development of the sustainable waste management, improving the waste management and reducing the historic polluted areas in minimum 30 counties by 2015; the reduction of the negative impacts over the environment and the diminution of the climate changes caused by the urban heating systems in the most polluted localities by 2015; the biodiversity and the natural heritage protection and improvement through the supporting of the protected areas management, including the implementation of Nature 2000; the reduction of the natural disasters risks which affect the population, by implementing preventive measures in most vulnerable areas by 2015), the main problems which appears for Romania looking the environment protection and, finally, the existent challenges and threats bounded by the environment protection issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial crisis started in 2007 is considered by many scientists to be the worst economic decline since the Great Depression in 1930s. Its impact was considerably high especially in the banking sector, causing the collapse of many financial institutions and downturns in stock markets around the world. In Romania, the economic crisis affected both the private and the public sector, determining declines in consumer's wealth and the failure of many industries. In this paper, the authors presents the consequences of economic decline on the nonprofit sector in Romania. In doing this, the article describes the relationships between social organizations and the Romanian society, as well as the impact of the financial crisis on the non-profit activities. Based on the structural equation model, the authors develops a multiple regression equation, which describes the sustainability of non-profit sector in times of economic decline. The results show that the sustainability of social organizations depends greatly on the developent stage of the country. Moreover, social education and orientation towards community support can influence in a positive way the activities of non-profit organizations, encouraging social engagement and the voluntariate. However, no matter the economic decline, people can choose to support social organizations, if the programs developed are communicated effectively and are relevant for the consumer. All in all, the article extends the area of research for the non-profit sector by studying the impact of economic crisis on social communications. The article also proposes new directions of research in terms of community involvement and behavior change, focusing on reducing social problems in times of economic decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the situation of the rural sector in Romania after 1990, the macroeconomic context existing before Romania's accession to EU on 01.01.2007. It shows the evolution of the sector following capitalization and the restitution of land, held after the 1989 Revolution and the situation of agricultural mechanization system, which was an advantage in 1990 but over time turned into a disadvantage. After Romania's EU accession, the paper presents measures that were adopted in accordance with its requirements related to agriculture, forestry, improve the environment and the countryside and the activities that our country must comply by 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, the research has played a key role in the economic development reflected by the GDP growth, the increase of the patents' number, the volume of exports, the economic competitiveness of countries which have invested in research and development. The aim of this paper is to make a study at the level of the European Union's countries of the way that the size of the expenditures with the Research and Development and the number of patents reported at 1 million inhabitants, influences the Gross Domestic Product. In that respect, the research wants to verify the possibility of Romania to achieve the objective written in the Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2014 to "reaching until year 2020 the critical mass of researchers needed to turn R&D a factor of economic growth through the provision of rapid and sustainable development, numerical and qualitative human resources in research, development and innovation" (R&D Strategy, 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current conditions of the globalization process, all the countries of the European Union need changes in the paradigms of supporting the performances imposed by sustainable development, in order to face the new challenges of the XXI century. One of the most important challenges is financial fraud and the corruption associated with it, which is a serious obstacle to any economic growth and, by extension, to sustainable development. This is because, between the level and the way of manifestation of fraud and corruption in any country and the necessity and manner of achieving the sustainable development of that country, there is a strong causal link, corresponding to cause-and-effect links. In this respect, financial fraud and corruption linked to transnational organized crime have the effect of seriously affecting the levels of economic and social development, and the lower they are, the more they support organized crime groups through corruption and fraud, all of which have the main effect of inhibiting performance of any kind and sustainable economic development. This professional study is part of a larger study whose objective is to identify the interdependencies strictly necessary for the consolidation of the rule of law in Romania, as a unique solution to strengthen the guarantees of follow unabated of the road to sustainable development. To begin with, we aim to identify, in relation to the current problems and challenges, the main mechanisms that can underlie the prevention and fight against fraud and corruption in Romania, for the continuous consolidation of performances in all areas of economic and social life and the multiplication of the guarantees for achieving the objectives for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper seeks to find some answers regarding the existent causality between the economic, financial, demographic and food crises. Crises are interrelated, thus one crisis cannot be analyzed without the other, as the effects of one crisis are or may represent causes for another crisis. The current food crisis translates today in food price increases, in the health of the population that does not have enough resources for a balanced diet and in obesity problems of the young generation (Romania ranks third among European countries). All these issues with immediate and direct effects over the population in our country determined us to conduct a rigorous and careful observation on the development of the phenomenon of food crisis. Food crisis, its causes and consequences - aging population, the migration of the active population to other countries (especially from the rural areas) and the agglomeration of the disadvantaged population in certain geographical areas, can cause social and economic imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]