Sustainable Food Security in Romania and Neighboring Countries-Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

Food security is a fundamental global challenge with significant regional implications, particularly in Eastern Europe. Romania and its neighboring countries-Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova-face interconnected challenges related to food availability, access, stability, and utilization. This study assesses Romania's food security in relation to its neighbors using FAO-defined indicators for each of these four pillars. The analysis is based on the latest FAO data. It applies two complementary analytical methods: comparative analysis, which evaluates Romania's food security indicators in relation to average values in neighboring countries, and statistical significance testing, using One-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to determine whether the observed differences are statistically significant. The results indicate that Romania benefits from high food availability and a developed irrigation infrastructure but faces challenges related to severe food insecurity, economic disparities, and public health issues such as obesity. Despite a higher GDP per capita than its neighbors, food insecurity rates remain concerning, pointing to underlying socio-economic inequalities. The results highlight the need for coordinated public policies that go beyond increasing food availability to reducing regional disparities, improving equitable access to nutritious food, and promoting sustainable patterns of production and consumption. The study proposes a multidimensional and scientifically sound approach that addresses structural inequalities, strengthening the resilience of food systems and the importance of regional cooperation in Eastern Europe. These contributions add to the current international discussions on sustainable food security and provide concrete recommendations for future action.