The role of competitiveness in increasing Romanian agri-food exports

Abstract The competitiveness of agri-food products is one of the most important factors in promoting exports and economic development, especially in developing countries such as Romania. Competitiveness can be enhanced through increasing productivity, applying modern systems in the production process, innovation, and the realization of a quality final product with high added value. Initially, to contextualize the topic and assess its scientific relevance, a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer was conducted on 441 Web of Science-indexed publications related to agri-food competitiveness. This paper investigates the impact of competitiveness, measured by labor productivity and revealed comparative advantage (RCA), on Romanian agri-food exports. RCA indices were used to assess trade performance, while multiple regression with panel data was applied to quantify their influence over the 2000–2023 period. Some of the results show that, although some agri-food products gain significant comparative advantages, their decreasing competitiveness has a negative impact on exports. The structure of exports of agricultural products is also unsatisfactory, as they are poorly processed and low-value-added products. As the regression results show, given the strong influence of labor productivity on exports, targeted investments in modern equipment, green production, and quality-enhancing innovations are recommended. Product differentiation and the creation of a final product with high added value are important factors for improving competitiveness and promoting exports in the agri-food sector.