Romanian Bioeconomy: Biomass, Employment, and Value Added in 2020

Romania possesses abundant natural resources, including forests, natural gas, fertile agricultural land (7.5% of EU's utilised agricultural area), brown coal, crude oil, salt, minerals, silver, gold, and extensive hydrological networks. It is one of the most agrarian countries in the EU, with rural areas covering 68% of the territory and over 10 million people living in rural regions. Agricultural and forest land together make up over 85% of the country’s total land area. The bioeconomy is the largest economic sector by employment share, driven primarily by agriculture and forestry. In 2020, the 'Field to Fork' chain accounted for 67% of bioeconomy value added and 89% of employment, while the forest-based sector contributed 23% of value added. Labour-productive bio-based industries such as textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and plastics also contribute significantly. Despite strong biomass availability, logistical challenges remain across all bioeconomy sectors.