Organic Beekeeping Practices in Romania: Status and Perspectives towards a Sustainable Development

Cristina Bianca Pocol, Peter Šedík, Ioan Bruma, Antonio Amuza and Aurica Chirsanova
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Cristina Bianca Pocol: Department of Animal Production and Food Safety, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj Napoca, 400372 Cluj Napoca, Romania
Peter Šedík: Center for Research and Educational Projects, Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Antonio Amuza: Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
Aurica Chirsanova: Department of Food and Nutrition, Technical University of Moldova, 168, Stefan cel Mare Bd., MD-2004 Chișinău, Moldova

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Romanian beekeeping faces a lot of challenges nowadays due to the problems related to climate change, the use of pesticides in agriculture, but also to the pandemic crisis. In this context, organic beekeeping represents an important alternative to traditional apicultural practices. The purpose of the study was to present the current situation of organic beekeeping in Romania, but also to identify some aspects related to sustainability. The research methodology was based on secondary and primary data. An online survey was conducted in 2020 on a sample of 433 Romanian beekeepers. The main findings showed that the majority of participants were aware of organic principles and were familiar with the concept of sustainability in beekeeping. However, only a small percentage of beekeepers were certified in the organic system. The evaluation of the concept of sustainability showed that the most important factor for the surveyed beekeepers was the environmental aspect, followed by the economic and social components. The pandemic crisis has negatively impacted the beekeepers’ activities due to travel restrictions and the limited access to the apiaries. If, in economic terms, they were affected by the sales drop in the first months of the crisis, there were also some positive effects such as the increase in demand for health-related products.

Keywords: beekeepers; organic practices; sustainability; pandemic crisis; challenges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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