BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE: A CASE STUDY OF TRANSILVANYA AREA, ROMANIA
Camelia OROIAN, Iulia MUREȘAN, Ioan Gheorghe OROIAN, Ilie COVRIG, Bianca MOLDOVAN, Mădălina COVRIG, Iulia Diana ARION
Abstract
The delimitation of the research topic has as a starting point the problematic situation represented by the unfavorable effects on the environment and food safety caused by chemical agriculture. Biodynamic agriculture, through its peculiarities, represents an alternative for farmers concerned about environmental health and obtained products. The elaboration of a questionnaire and its application on a sample of 95 farmers from the Transylvanian Plain and Plateau, Romania has consisted an important support for revealing their perception on biodynamic agriculture. Our research results allow us to conclude, at least in this phase, that biodynamic agriculture, although little known among farmers, can help protect biodiversity and the environment, and biodynamic farms can be profitable due to the increased interest of consumers for healthy products
Key words: biodynamic agriculture, sustainability, farmers’opinion, yield, profitability.