The agri-food chain encompasses primary production, collection, processing, distribution, and retail. According to 2024–2025 European Commission analyses on the functioning of the food supply chain, the distribution of added value is not uniform across its segments.

Primary production is exposed to high volatility and generally operates with lower and more unstable margins. Processing and retail benefit from logistical integration, stronger bargaining power, and the ability to pass costs on to the final consumer.

In Romania, the fragmentation of the primary sector limits its capacity to influence pricing. In the absence of cooperation and vertical integration, farmers remain in a price-taker position.

Looking ahead to 2026, the analysis of the chain must move beyond the narrative of low farm-gate prices. The central question is how to increase the share of value retained within the first link of the chain.

(Photo: Freepik)