Prince Charles’ love for Romania is already well known. He first visited Transylvania back in 1998 and has been spending holidays here ever since. The Prince even got involved in preserving the country’s rural areas and traditional architecture.

While at his holiday home in Romania’s Transylvania, Prince Charles spoke to BBC Radio 4 for their programme On Your Farm about biodiversity, urging a revival of traditional farming methods.

“For so many years, hundreds of years, we’ve pushed nature into the background, and we’ve exploited, we’ve taken, we’ve put nothing back,” he said.

He argued that biodiversity should be at the center of farming, adding that not enough is being done for small farmers.

“I happen to think the small farmer, the smallholder, is absolutely crucial to the maintenance of food security. It can't all be done by gigantic corporations, agribusinesses," he told BBC reporter Charlotte Smith.

Farmers in Transylvania still scythe hay meadows by hand and use horse-drawn carts. He says that this Romanian region is a place where “we see true sustainability and complete resilience,” reports BBC.com.

His grandchildren made him want to do more to protect the environment. "That's entirely why I'm trying to do all this, is that I mind about the future for your grandchildren as well as mine and lots of other people's.”

His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales launched his foundation in Romania in early-June this year. The Prince of Wales Foundation aims to support heritage preservation, agriculture and sustainable development in Romania.

How did Prince Charles start his yearly visit to Romania? 

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com