Georgeta Stoian Connor

During the second half of the twentieth century, the Romanian countryside experienced significant transformations—from communist-forced agricultural collectivization, followed by a dramatic program of rural systematization, to a very controversial post-communist reform (the Law on Land Resources) aimed at the decollectivization of agriculture and the restoration of private rural property rights. Given the significance of agriculture to the European Union (E.U.) social model, the state of Romania’s agriculture was a central topic of discussion in the country’s effort to join the E.U. Through examination of archival records and interviews with key individuals, this project investigates how Romania’s efforts to join the E.U. have impacted agricultural practice and land-use patterns, addressing the consequences of adjusting Romanian agriculture to Common Agricultural Policy requirements.

2010 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, April 14-18, 2010 (Washington D.C.)