Romania has the lowest fruit and vegetable consumption in the European Union despite its high agricultural potential

Romania has one of the lowest rates of fruit and vegetable consumption in the European Union: almost 75% of Romanians do not consume even one serving of vegetables or fruit per day, and 24% say they eat between 1 and 4 servings daily. Only 2.4% of Romanians consume 5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day, as recommended by the World Health Organization, according to Eurostat data processed by the Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania.

At the same time, although Romania has 8.1% of the arable land used in the EU and 4.2% of the Union's population, it contributes only 1.9% to the annual production of fresh vegetables and 5.4% to fruit production, which fuels dependence on imports and higher prices for low-income consumers.

Romania's situation contrasts sharply with the EU27 average, where only 33% of Europeans do not consume any portions of fruit and vegetables per day, while 55% consume between 1 and 4 portions, and 12% consume 5 or more portions per day. Even in Central and Eastern Europe, Romania lags far behind countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria in terms of fruit and vegetable consumption. This reality creates a vicious circle: insufficient production relative to land resources, dependence on imports, higher shelf prices, and, ultimately, low consumption.

The distribution of agricultural land would, in theory, allow a significant part of the domestic demand for fruit and vegetables to be met. The EU27 countries have a total of 157 million hectares of agricultural land in use, of which 12.8 million hectares are used in Romania, representing approximately 8.1% of the total. Although it uses 8.1% of the agricultural land in the European Union, Romania produces well below its potential in the vegetable category (1.9% of EU production) and only marginally better in fruit production (5.4%); Overall, Romania's production level remains below the potential suggested by its share of agricultural land and well below the potential of other countries in the region, such as Poland, which produces 16% of the fruit and 8% of the vegetables grown in the EU27 with only 9% of the agricultural land used. This underproduction perpetuates pressure on imports and keeps domestic consumption at very low levels.

The impact on public health and the economy is significant, as low consumption rates correlate with increased risks of non-communicable diseases and decreased productivity. The World Health Organization recommends at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables per day, equivalent to 5 servings, and Romania currently has the lowest proportion of the population reaching this target among the European countries mentioned.

Very low consumption of fruit and vegetables could be one of the causes of health problems in Romania. This problem can only be overcome through coordinated intervention by the state and the country's farmers, as well as the development of a strategy to inform citizens about the importance of good nutrition. An integrated strategy, with annual production and consumption targets, would reduce dependence on imports, stabilising shelf prices and increasing access for vulnerable households.

Romania has the agricultural potential to quickly reposition its fruit and vegetable market, but this requires a combination of coherent public policies, investments, and support instruments for low-income consumers.

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Data source:

• Eurostat - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/HLTH_EHIS_FV3E__custom_19353815/default/table?page=time:2019
• Eurostat - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/apro_cpsh1/default/table?lang=en

Data processing and text design: Dani Sandu

Infographic: Pascalone Media SRL

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