Local products at Carrefour Romania

Bio Romania and Carrefour Romania have signed an agreement to sell local organic products in Carrefour hypermarkets, Bio Romania's president Marian Cioceanu has announced. The products manufactured by the members of Bio Romania were listed in seven of the Bucharest-based hypermarkets at the end of July this year and since 12 September 2013, customers can find organics made in Romania in nineteen Carrefour hypermarkets all over the country, Agerpress reports. The project was initiated by MEP Daciana Sarbu and the Minister for Agriculture Daniel Constantin.
 

Bio Romania has also announced the official launch of the brand and logo Rodul Bio Romanesc (Romanian Bio Produce), and welcomed the 15 % cut in the VAT for organic wheat, flour, and bread and bakery products for sale at the Carrefour chain and in all health food stores. Organic tastings are taking place in 16 Carrefour hypermarkets throughout Romania in the framework of the programme to promote the growing of organic produce in Romania, funded by the European Union, Romania's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) and Bio Romania.
 

450,000 ha of land were cultivated organically in Romania in 2012. While there isn’t any official data related to the size of the Romanian organic market, Romanians are estimated to have spent between  €50m and €80m on organic products last year, with demand continuing to rise, according to data previously published by Bio Romania. However, most of the local consumption is covered from imports. Romania remains a net exporter of organic raw materials such as cereals and fruit, only to later import processed organic goods, Bio Romania reports.