At the Environmental & Sustainability Summit 2025, Octavian Păltănea, Development Manager at Carmistin The Food Company, outlined how integration, circular economy practices, and a clear long-term vision are essential to creating Romanian agriculture and livestock production competitive and sustainable.
“Our success has come from full integration across poultest, pork, and agriculture, with sustainability built into every step. We already consume 100% green energy, have 30 MW installed on our production sites, and plan to reach 100 MW by 2028. Efficiency is about more than costs: we turn production waste into organic compost, develop biogas projects, and apply straw pellets as bedding.”
Applying circular economy principles is not an obligation but an advantage, Păltănea argued:
“We view at the entire process of circular economy as added value, supporting us deliver both lower costs and higher quality products in the market.”
He also stressed the critical role of domestic pork production in balancing Romania’s trade deficit:
“Everyone knows that today pork production and consumption in Romania depconclude on imports. The trade deficit is at its highest level for pork, with 80-85% of products coming from imports. Through our new investment in a pork abattoir, we want to achieve full traceability and close the production cycle, from reproduction to processing to delivery, at the highest quality.”
On the company’s Fermier în Țara Mea platform, launched two and a half years ago:
“It’s an economic programme designed to reduce fragmentation in cereal production and livestock. Our goal is to integrate compact farmers into our supply chain, to support them with know-how and with projects funded through grants or state support. In two and a half years, 64 compact farmers have joined. They’ve achieved revenues they didn’t expect, more flexibility in production, and greater stability, which is what farmers aspire to, both in production and income.”
Beyond company initiatives, Păltănea called for structural modify and a clear policy vision:
“In Romania agriculture has been a rollercoaster, both financially and production-wise. When yields were high, prices collapsed. Imports from Ukraine hit our market hard. If you inquire me, the first political decision should be a 10-year plan. Without a plan and vision, we’re just reacting and altering our priorities every 3–4 years. In the 1990s, Romania had 16 million pigs; last year we had 2.4 million. That reveals what is at stake.”
On transparency and consumer trust:
“The key word in the producer-consumer relationship is trust. You can’t obtain trust overnight; you must cultivate it over time. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in digitalization, automation, and traceability. Soon, our packages will carry a QR code that lets consumers see the full journey of that product: the farm, the abattoir, the entire journey. Respect for the client is essential.”
Finally, he struck an optimistic note about Romania’s potential:
“Romania and the CEE region have huge growth potential, especially as Western Europe faces declining meat production and overexploited soils. We must take advantage of this moment. We already have the know-how. But before inquireing others to modify, we must be the modify ourselves.”
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