Once considered the breadbasket of Eastern Europe, communism extinguished a generation of agricultural know-how and initiative in Romania.Following the collapse of former state industries and enterprises, many Romanian farmers turned to agriculture, but were ill-equipped to compete in a free market economy.Moreover, their industry had been crippled by decades of mismanagement, a lack of investment in infrastructure and limited agricultural education.Today, Romanians have their land and their freedom, but rural populations suffer from widespread poverty, disillusionment and little hope for the future.
Young people do not view the agriculture industry as a viable career opportunity because this sector of the economy is in a state of disrepair and disrespect.Without enhanced educational opportunities and positive examples of economically-viable farming operations, rural communities will continue to endure limited economic opportunity and a lack of optimism that future generations will be equipped and willing to meet the food and fiber needs of their country.
The Consequences
Rather than participate in Romania’s growing and developing economy, people in rural communities are suffering through life, causing some to long for "the good old days" of communism – when everyone at least had a minimum standard of living.Without the hope of a better economic future and the appropriate educational resources to pursue it, this emerging democracy is vulnerable to failure.The seeming security and stability of state control may be too great a temptation for millions of ill-prepared Romanians caught in the aftershock of freedom.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) agrees that poverty reduction efforts in Romania must focus on rural areas. They specifically stress the need for increased investment in agriculture.According to the IFAD, half of Romania’s rural population, many of whom are farmers, earn less than $4.30 per day and are below the poverty line (source: http://www.ifad.org/media/press/2001/01-44.htm). Lack of appropriate resources and modern technical expertise has left these communities vulnerable to despair and dependent upon others, who often view them as modern-day peasants.Compounding the problem is the fact that there are few success stories or examples of individual prosperity in the agriculture community, so young people have little incentive or desire to pursue a career in this sector of the economy.
The Solution
Our intention is to create lasting change by teaching Romanian people how to establish and manage profitable agribusinesses that will enhance the prosperity and economic well-being of their families, their communities and their country.In so doing, we will help create opportunities for people in the rural communities of Romania to gain dignity, honor and respect as they become self-sufficient in today’s free market economy.
This will be accomplished by partnering with academic institutions and the professional agribusiness community to establish local agricultural education opportunities that lead to the development of locally-owned and economically-viable agribusinesses.Education will be provided in 1) formal university classroom settings, 2) real world agribusiness operations that will be established to serve as teaching laboratories and 3) through a series of seminars and demonstrations that will be conducted for local farmers. As profitable businesses are established and managed with excellence and integrity, young people will see agriculture as an honorable career choice and pursue agribusiness degrees -- leading to rural economic development and a decrease in poverty and despair.As rural communities prosper, the standard of living will increase and freedom and democracy will prevail.