{"id":34772,"date":"2021-03-09T16:38:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T16:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rafonline.org\/?post_type=program&p=34772"},"modified":"2026-03-17T13:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:04:00","slug":"food-hub-development","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/rafonline.org\/en\/program\/food-hub-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Hub Development (Finished)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A group of Romanian NGOs developed and pilot Food Hubs as sustainable economic alternatives that can ensure fair market access to small local food producers and individual small farmers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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CONTEXT<\/h3>\n

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Access to markets coupled with basic business know-how, and access to capital are critical elements necessary for the economic development of rural Romania.<\/p>\n

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After testing cooperatives as one viable market solution for small farmers, RAF partners active in rural development are taking on the challenge to test another model. Food Hubs, as regional facilities, aggregate and market food products at a fair price for both consumers and small farmers, supporting small farmers to promote their produce, providing a healthy alternative to consumers and contributing to the well-being of rural communities.<\/p>\n

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Food Hubs can be another intermediary for small farmers to reach the market, as well as a resources center for farmers, providing o help increase their competitiveness.<\/p>\n

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STRATEGY<\/h3>\n

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The program created the framework for testing, learning and adapting the Food Hub model as a means for local economic development to Romania\u2019s context and it was designed to work in two main phases, namely a selection and business planning phase followed by the Food Hub development phase.<\/p>\n

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  1. Phase 1: planning (six months) \u2013 During the first six months, ten NGOs with expertise in rural development and strong interest in setting-up Food Hubs received support to conduct their local markets research, learn about regulations, look at best practices and ultimately develop business plans. Facilitation, NGO selection and assistance in this phase was provided by CIVITAS.<\/li>\n
  2. Phase 2: implementation of business plans in five regions and start-up consolidation \u2013 a selection committee comprised professionals who volunteered their time and expertise selected five Food Hub locations, based on the market research and business plans submitted. RAF provided grants to the five selected organizations to implementthe proposed Food Hub models, providing small farmers with a valid local economic model.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    Five organizations worked with small and medium-sized farmers in the following regions to test the food hub model in the market:<\/p>\n

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