Poland

The case studies illustrate the ways in which the Romanian food system is being restructured. There has been a place for small-scale producers in milk supply because there was a shortage of milk and unemployed workers turned to farming as a means of semi-subsistence living. In 1990, Romania bade farewell to the centrally planned economic model and welcomed (again) the market model. Despite a continuous economic growth since 2000, Romania lags behind other large CEE countries according to most economic and social indicators. During the pre-transition period, production and distribution were mostly state owned, and only a small share was cooperative. Private trade was forbidden except for some agri-food products that were sold in local markets. Transition in Romania led to high unemployment and many people moved back to ancestral land and attempted to take up semi-subsistence farming. They invested much labour into this but because of limited management skills, expertise and capital, the yields were low.