The SPI for the farmers’ markets case study in Romania focuses on highlighting the importance of farmers’ markets for the sustainable and resilient development of the city and the pathway of change co-creation. Farmers’ markets represent the main distribution channel for the 3.6 million smallholder farms (or more precisely, agricultural households) from Romania, that manage approximately 45% of the total Utilized Agricultural Area.

Within the SPI we aim to identify the current main barriers and opportunities of change, to co-create a common vision for the future of the farmers’ markets and to support the implementation of the needed changes. Our objective is to highlight the important role that farmers’ markets play in building a resilient local food system. We will engage with a diverse group of stakeholders: small local and regional agri-food producers, producers’ cooperatives and associations, the public authorities that coordinate and monitor the local food system and farmers’ markets at local level (farmers’ markets administration, local municipality, National Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, County Agricultural Directorate), consumers, and the voluntary sector organisations that promote and support agricultural cooperatives at a national level.