The client
The client for this project was a major multilateral development institution working in partnership with Romania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to modernise the country’s agrifood control system. As Romania’s central food authority, the ministry oversees food safety, quality standards, and agricultural competitiveness nationwide, protecting a food system that supplies over 19 million Romanian consumers, as well as consumers in their export markets. Romania is a significant producer of grains, meat, and processed foods for the EU; however, its domestic regulatory architecture needed modernisation to keep pace with rapidly tightening European standards and regulations.
With this initiative, the client sought to ensure that Romanian producers can demonstrate full product traceability, manage crises effectively, and curb food waste.
Background
Across the EU, legislation such as Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law and Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls are reshaping requirements for agri-food producers. Member states must now deliver real-time traceability, communicate risks in a clear and transparent manner, implement enhanced food safety monitoring systems, and establish measurable waste reduction targets aligned to the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy.
This is particularly challenging for Romania as their agri-food sector is built around thousands of small and medium sized enterprises who compete with European rivals that already benefit from digital audit trails and integrated laboratory networks. This puts Romania’s domestic operators at a significant disadvantage and is compounded by fragmented information systems and overlapping mandates that created unnecessary administrative burdens for businesses and regulators alike.
The problem
The client wanted to safeguard public health, unlock higher value export markets, and demonstrate alignment with emerging EU sustainability labelling requirements, but they lacked an evidence-based understanding of where the legal and institutional gaps lay.
Although Romanian officials had pledged to meet forthcoming EU food waste reduction targets, no central mechanism existed to capture baseline loss figures or monitor progress and legal transposition of key EU measures was incomplete or inconsistent, leaving gaps in crisis response and enforcement. At the same time, data silos between veterinary, phytosanitary, consumer protection, and customs authorities meant companies were asked to submit the same information multiple times, increasing compliance costs and slowing investigations., The client acknowledged that without a coordinated, evidence-based reform programme it would struggle to protect consumers, compete internationally, or meet the EU’s broader F2F ambitions.
The solution
Farrelly Mitchell designed a phased methodology that combined rigorous legal analysis with intensive stakeholder engagement. The first phase mapped more than 80 primary and secondary legislative instruments, benchmarking each against EU requirements for traceability, integrity, crisis management, marketing standards, and food waste reduction. At the same time, parallel institutional mapping was used to clarify the mandates, resources, and data flows of 13 existing national agencies. Findings were consolidated into a draft gap analysis report (written in Romanian) and tested with senior officials at an interim workshop.
The second phase delivered a forward-looking assessment. Our team modelled the implications of four EU policy scenarios—ranging from mandatory environmental footprint labelling to stricter waste reporting thresholds—and prepared case studies of countries that had successfully digitised food control systems. Drawing on this evidence, consultants defined priority reforms: streamlined official control procedures, harmonised data exchange protocols, and developed a governance blueprint for a national traceability platform built on blockchain ready architecture.
Lastly, our food systems consultants produced a concise report of recommendations that outlined legislative amendments, institutional realignments, and a 24-month implementation roadmap. Two more dissemination workshops were held to provide ministry specialists and private sector stakeholders with clear performance indicators and a detailed breakdown of actionable priorities.
The impact
Our food system assessment and the enactment of its recommendations will enable Romanian food producers and legislators to achieve five key benefits. First, the new system should improve administrative efficiency by ~30%. Second, producers exporting to premium EU and Gulf markets will gain a clear compliance pathway, enabling them to realise higher prices. Third, a robust food waste measurement protocol will enable the ministry to track progress toward forthcoming EU reduction targets. Fourth, by embedding risk-based official controls, the ministry can channel inspection resources where they are needed most, strengthening consumer confidence and easing trade facilitation discussions with trading partners. Lastly, foodborne illness investigations will compress from weeks to hours as end-to-end traceability data becomes available on a single interoperable platform. Ultimately these outcomes will underpin future export growth, protect public health, and facilitate the country’s wider transition toward a safe and sustainable food system.
Forge ahead with Farrelly Mitchell
At Farrelly Mitchell, we know how to turn complex regulatory challenges into pragmatic, futureproofed solutions that unlock growth and resilience. Our food systems consultants are highly experienced in agri-food policy & regulation, traceability & transparency frameworks, and food safety management systems.
We work with governments, NGOs and private investors to develop policies and practices that help streamline agricultural processes, enhance productivity, and connect regional players with global markets. Our capacity building, institutional development, and market linkage services help ensure our clients are well-equipped to meet the demands of an evolving agri-food market. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you achieve your strategic objectives.
