TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMES

In the past years, the role of traditional products in the European economy has greatly increased, firstly through the supply of essential products and services for the local communities, but also through the creation of new work places in all the EU countries, including Romania. 99,1% of traditional products are being produced in our country in small and micro-enterprises, with a small number of employees, and which use traditional recipes, passed down from generation to generation - and the secret of which is kept strictly within the family. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of developing these small businesses which produce and sell traditional products in Romania, and to analyse the perspectives of development of the consumption of these products and present the scientific results following a study of the Central Region of Romania regarding the consumption of these products, the purchase, factors that influence consumption and preferences of consumers as regards to traditional products - the research has be done within the Postdoctoral School for Zoo-technical biodiversity and Food biotechnologies based on Eco-Economy and Bio-economy necessary for Eco-sanogenesis.