THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN ROMANIA AND SERBIA

The competitiveness of the agri-food sector is a key factor for food security, economic growth, and sustainable development, especially in emerging European economies. This paper compares the agri-food competitiveness of Romania and Serbia, two neighboring countries with similar historical, geographical, and cultural characteristics, but different institutional frameworks, i.e. Romania as an EU member stateandSerbiaasacandidatecountry.Thestudyaimstoidentifystrengths,weaknesses, and opportunities in their agri-food trade performance. Using international trade indicators, with emphasis on the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, the analysis covers the main agri-food product categories during 2019-2023, based on the data from the Intracen platform. Results reveal sectors where Romania and Serbia hold competitive advantages, as well as areas of complementarity or direct competition. The paper provides insights into regional dynamics and highlights innovation, digitalization, and cooperation as strategic levers for strengthening long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the agri-food sector in both countries.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ: 

Agri-food sector and trade, competitiveness, Romania, Serbia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:

This research was partially conducted as a result of the Erasmus+ mobility of Alina Florentina Gheorghe (Gavrilă) and Alexandra Marin to the Institute of Agricultural Economics in Belgrade, Serbia. The mobility took place from December 8, 2025, to December 12, 2025.

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