In Romania, Food Security Has Been Seen More as a Production Issue Than an Educational One

In Romania over the past decade, food security has been viewed more as a matter of production than one of education. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2024), over 55% of Romanians have an unbalanced diet, with excessive intake of salt, sugar, and saturated fats. The lack of food education is reflected in the rising incidence of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), Romania ranks among the top three EU countries for childhood obesity rates — more than 17% of children aged 7 to 14 are overweight. At the same time, daily consumption of fruits and vegetables remains below EFSA recommendations: only 23% of adults reach the target of five servings per day.

At the European level, countries such as France, Finland, and Italy have introduced mandatory nutrition education programs in schools, with visible results in public health improvement. Romania has declarative strategies (including within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan), but actual implementation is limited by a shortage of specialized staff and insufficient institutional cooperation.

Food education means more than providing information — it involves building healthy lifestyle habits. Public campaigns should be aligned with school programs, involving family doctors and nutritionists. Furthermore, the media and the food industry play an important role in promoting accurate messages about balanced nutrition.

For Romania, introducing systematic food education would represent an investment in the health of future generations. Prevention costs less than treatment, and an informed consumer can reshape the market — choosing better, more local, and more responsible products.

(Photo: Freepik)