STUDY REGARDING THE INTEREST OF ROMANIAN CONSUMERS FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE.

Organic farming is developing as a sustainable alternative to intensive, conventional farming practice based on increasing yields, by maximizing the use of production factors to continuously increase agricultural production. Organic farming is, now, appreciated because it eliminates chemicals and produces health food with a positive impact on the environment. Sustainable development requires a healthy life due to responsible food production and consumption. These goals can be achieved in a food system where producers contribute through moral behaviours and where consumers are informed. All these aspects are gaining increasing importance at European and global level in the context of sustainable development. Considering these aspects, we carried out this research with reference to the interest of the inhabitants of the Western Romania for ecological products. The analysis of the data, obtained from the field application of a questionnaire and their interpretation, shows that, in Romania, although the area cultivated in the organic system is still small, there is an increased interest in the organic farming system both on the part of farmers and on the part of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]