The best way to beat big competitors may be to appeal to Western consumers who don't want chemically grown food. By Christina Crowder If you ask almost any farmer in Romania what they know about organic agriculture, the first thing they'll tell you is that all family farmers are organic here - they can't afford to buy pesticides and fertilisers. This "organic farming by poverty" affects the majority of Romanian farmers. While the situation bodes well for the possibility of developing modern organic farming in Romania, there's still a long way to go. Romania's effort to encourage sustainable, organic farming practices provides valuable lessons for other Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Agriculture is important in Romania - not counting agro-processing, it accounts for about 21 percent of GDP, 35 percent of employment and 9 percent of external trade. Meanwhile, Romania has a relatively low income and relatively poorly developed infrastructure, even for the region, which means the country faces bigger challenges than most CEE countries in establishing sustainable agriculture. According to Imre Albert, an environmental activist whose non-governmental organisation, Bioterra, holds seminars on organic farming in Romania, there is a lot of interest in more environmentally friendly practices, but execution may not be easy. He said the participants in his seminars "are usually younger farmers, who are enticed by the idea of a better price for their crops, and the idea that they are creating a healthier product. But it's a risk for them because the concept is relatively unknown, and there's no domestic market for organic produce." The percentage of Romanian farm land currently used for organic production is a fraction of the total, and the Romanian agricultural sector as a whole is plagued by a lack of investment capital and woefully neglected infrastructure. According to research published in October 1998 by the OECD: Centre for Co-operation with Non-Members, property restitution has left 91.6 percent of all private farms, or 54.5 percent of the country's arable land, in plots smaller than five hectares - barely enough to provide subsistence income for a family. Until these problems are solved, Romania will have difficulty realising its potential for sustainable organic agriculture. On the bright side, a number of organisations like Albert's have been working to introduce a more scientific form of organic agriculture to Romania: one that seeks to combine the best of traditional local techniques and proven organic practices from the West. The Ecologist Youth of Romania (TER), sponsored by the Heinrich Bohl Foundation (Germany), is one of the main organisations promoting organic agriculture in the country. Based in Bucharest, they coordinate the Romanian Working Group on Sustainable Agriculture, which brings together representatives from five regional NGOs to develop strategies for introducing and improving organic agriculture and low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) in Romania. One of their primary achievements to date has been successful lobbying of the Romanian government to approve legislation setting EU compatible organic standards in Romania in the year 2000. Target of 15 percent sustainability This legislation is a major step, but a paper published in 2000, "Strategy to Sustainable Agriculture in Romanian Danube Basin: An Organic vs. Conventional Agriculture Approach," points out a number of obstacles to further development. Both sustainable and conventional agriculture are dependent on the rational use of modern machinery, improved crop varieties and seeds, soil conservation, modern animal husbandry and waste management. Although the government cooperates closely with agricultural institutions, NGOs and farmers to encourage sustainable agriculture, state spending on agricultural research receives a much smaller proportion of the national budget than in EU countries, according to the strategy paper. Furthermore, agricultural infrastructure, such as storage facilities, farm equipment, irrigation systems, and even roads, have deteriorated significantly in the last decade - now that state ownership of many facilities no longer applies. While farm labour is cheaper than in the West, the 1998 OECD report said that transportation bottlenecks, inefficient storage and a lack of specialised transport equipment hampers efficient marketing of agricultural produce in Romania. Nevertheless, TER believes that their goal of 10 percent organic and 15 percent sustainable agriculture is achievable by 2010. But reaching this level will require a dedicated effort on the part of government and educational institutions, to promote legislation curbing the most harmful agricultural practices, such as stubble burning; to invest in the national infrastructure; and to educate farmers about modern, sustainable techniques. For now, NGOs are still the main players in promoting sustainable agriculture. Albert's organisation, Bioterra, is the largest organic agriculture NGO in Transylvania. With over 2,500 members, representing approximately 11,500 hectares of farmland, Bioterra has grown rapidly since its founding in 1997. The group reaches out to farmers with educational videos, a regular newsletter - offering tips and updates on the latest organic materials and techniques - and up to 30 introductory seminars per year in villages around Transylvania. The seminars are well attended, averaging over 100 participants per session. But for each seminar, only about ten people will actually join Bioterra and begin the conversion process. "Farmers are going to lose money during the conversion period before certification," Albert admits. "And upgrading facilities is expensive - especially for dairy and animal farmers." But Albert insists that the long-term benefits of organic farming outweigh these risks. "In the first place, organic farming is much closer to the traditional practices most farmers are accustomed to. The important difference is that our information services and training give farmers the tools to face the factors that have radically changed agriculture in the late 20th century." As an example, he cites the Colorado beetle: Formerly solely a resident of Colorado, the pernicious beetle is now a global scourge for potato growers. Bioterra promotes a remedy involving an organically certified product called Novodar, developed in America. Acid rain, another modern problem, can be combated by spraying a milk solution on crops. While the acid residue will still seep into the soil, the milk prevents the corrosive particles from adhering to plants, where it can do more damage. So far, the majority of information Bioterra passes on is learned from the West, and, unfortunately, some of the products and techniques are expensive. Bioterra hopes to change that by working with specialists in the local branch of TER and the Cluj Institute of Agricultural Studies to develop local solutions that fit with organic best practices. Seeking converts to organic farming Dan Craioveanu, from TER Cluj, is coordinating a project to develop a free booklet of these local techniques for farmers. "We go out to the countryside to talk to farmers about how they manage crops and animals in their area," Craioveanu said. "Back in Cluj, professors at the Agricultural Institute work to uncover the scientific explanation of why these techniques are beneficial. For example, farmers in different regions use different manure fertiliser 'recipes.' We're trying to find out which ones complement the soil needs of each region." Albert believes that the European market for organically grown Romanian produce will be greater than that for food grown with conventional methods. "Realistically, we're not going to see a Romanian market for organic food develop for a while," he said. "But I think it's safe to say that demand will continue to grow in the European Union, and that Romanian organic farmers should be able to take advantage of that demand." This year will prove whether Bioterra's hunch pays off. The majority of Bioterra members will have completed the transition period in 2001 and will be ready for organic certification of this year's harvest. It's a big moment for Bioterra and Albert is optimistic. He has lined up European buyers for nearly all of his farmer's crops this year, and is looking forward to having shepherded the bulk of the membership through what should be the most difficult period. And he has other reasons to be optimistic. Last year, Bioterra was invited to oversee the organic conversion of over 1,700 farmers who provide milk to the Swiss-Romanian dairy concern Dorna Lactate. Founded in 1989 by the Swiss entrepreneur Jean Valvis, Dorna Lactate is currently one of the top three dairy producers in Romania. And, in the last year, Valvis has been encouraging his farmers to switch to organic production. According to Benone Silivas, director of raw materials development for the company, "This region already produces excellent quality milk products, and we've used state of the art European and American processing technology from the very beginning. The move to organic production is really a logical step in maintaining our quality standards, and it's also part of our strategy to find a niche in European and American markets." Today, roughly 15 percent of Dorna Lactate's producers are working toward certification, and they're hoping to encourage up to 25 percent of their nearly 10,000 farmers to make the switch in the next few years. Dorna Lactate pays a premium to farmers for the best quality milk. This extra money helps cover the cost of farm improvements and tests. Unfortunately, Dorna Lactate is virtually the only company to make a strong commitment to organic products in Romania. Meanwhile, there are only a few NGOs in the country dedicated to sustainable agriculture, and their resources are stretched thin. Albert comments that Bioterra is almost a victim of its own success: "Our membership nearly tripled last year, which is wonderful, but now we're stretched to the limit in taking care of everyone, and we're urgently in need of more funding." Further government support and funding are essential to show Romania's commitment to an alternative agricultural future.

Seeking a niche:  Romanian farmers hope that growing with traditional, organic methods will help them break into the Western market.