The Ecological Farm Topa –

tradition and eco values

Name: Daniel Cismaş

Age: 44

Civil status: married, four children

Education: Mechanics

Work experience: machinery and equipment

15 years – administrator – local school

Motivation: Rediscovered the connection to the

land; hence the idea of an ecological

farm

Membership:

• President of Tarnava Mare Association – which promotes and

preserves local cultural traditions

• Member of Biocoop entity – first shop for bio products in Romania

• Member of Ecoruralis Association – partner association of Via

Campesina

The Ecological Farm Topa In the context of the traditional village

Ţopa – name of the village

- population 370

- situated in the centre of the country, in a hilly area

- rich in pasture, haymeadows, forests and arable land

- bordered by the Carpathians

Members of the community

- lost their jobs in town and returned to the field work.

- lack of resources and healthy knowledge concerning field work.

The Ecological Farm Topa

3 hectares owned, 30 hectares rented

33 hectares: 15 cows, 1 hectare of roses,

lucerne for fodder, vegetables, herbs,

Environment: ecological agriculture, environmentally friendly practices

Economic: support for the entire family, income for people who can and want to

help, during the season, land rent for some owners in the community.

3 people employed full time, and more people seasonally.

Social: direct links with many members of local community and the 3 schools in

the commune, support for many people from the community,

Self support – from own production

Direct sales – in the village and surroundings

Indirect sales – through Bio-coop – as member

The Ecological Farm Topa

Included in the Nature 2000 SCI – protected area for high natural value

graslands.

Included in the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms Programme.

Good relationship with the schools – children and teachers

volunteer at the farm.

Volunteers from all over the world – intercultural changes

Policy 1

There are

1. 2.7 million holdings under 1 ha (5 m ha, 35% of agricutural area)

2. 1 m holdings 1-10 ha a (3.1 million ha, 21% of agricutural area)

3. 54,000 holdings between 10-50 ha (1 m ha, 7% of agricultural area)

The CAP does not focus on farms under 1 ha.

But looking at farms over 1 ha:

they are of significant economic importance.

For example, the 1 million holdings between 1-10 ha (3.1 m ha, 20% of

Romania’s agricultural area), are called semi-subsistence farms

producing for home consumption, local sales and for their extended

families. Yet these farms are estimated to produce

• 25-30% of national food consumption

• rural vitality, unlike largest farms, associated with rural poverty

• In addition to economic argument, there is the environmental

argument ….

Policy 2

How has previous RDP supported these kind of

farms, 1-50 ha

• Many farmers have become more aware of environmental aspects owing to

the requirements of GAEC, and of agri-environment measures

• My farm profit comes from CAP payments: money coming through Direct

Payments and agri-environment payments on grassland, organic payments on

arable

• Wife Tincuta received young farmer measure

• Training course under 111 (Farm Management )

• Would be interested in investment measure if co-finance requirement was

25% - cannot afford 50%

• Son studied tourism at university – would like to apply in next period for agro-

tourism finance

Policy 3

Wish list for the new RDP, to help farms and farming

families like mine:

• Lower co-finance rates for investment measures: improving farm technology

• More trainings focused on real needs

• I strongly believe in partnership between scientists, farmers, marketing

specialists: impossible to farm alone, must keep in touch with teachers,

technology and experience: very important for Cooperation Measure and

European Innovation Partnership.

• Simpler control procedures for small farmers. Could be by using the small

farmer for farms

• Definition of Active farmer important because there are many people in the

cities who take payments without doing any work.

• Flexibility of regulations applied to small farmers compared to industrial

scale, and applied to different regions.

Thank you!

Ferma Ecologica Topa

+40 745 121 961

fermatopa@yahoo.com

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