Fundatia Adept Transilvania
Fundația ADEPT Transilvania is a Romanian biodiversity conservation and rural development NGO based in Saschiz, Mureș County. Founded in 2004, it works in the Târnava Mare area of Transylvania, one of Europe’s most important High Nature Value farmed landscapes, where traditional small-scale farming has shaped a mosaic of grasslands, villages, and habitats with exceptional biodiversity. The organisation positions itself as a practical, community-based actor that links conservation with local livelihoods. Its work is built around the idea that the survival of these landscapes depends on keeping farming viable, supporting local enterprises, and helping communities benefit economically from sustainable land management rather than from intensification or abandonment. ADEPT combines field conservation, community development, farming support, and innovation, and it also engages in policy work at national and European level. Its approach is collaborative and locally grounded, with a strong emphasis on science, pragmatism, and direct benefit to the farming communities that maintain the landscape. Core Values Community benefit : ADEPT repeatedly stresses that conservation must deliver direct benefits to local small-scale farming communities and support their long-term survival. Pragmatism : The organisation favours practical, locally scaled solutions that can be implemented on the ground and adapted through experience. Science-based action : Projects are designed and refined using field research, monitoring, and ecological evidence rather than abstract policy alone. Collaboration : ADEPT works in partnership with farmers, local authorities, universities, NGOs, and public institutions, and sees cooperation as essential to success. Transparency and integrity : The organisation presents itself as inclusive, open to new ideas, and committed to meeting its commitments within its available resources. Unique Aspects Flagship High Nature Value landscape focus : ADEPT is closely associated with the Târnava Mare area, a Natura 2000 site of about 85,000 hectares and Romania’s largest farmland Natura 2000 site, making it a flagship case for farm-based nature conservation. Integrated conservation-and-livelihood model : It combines biodiversity conservation with rural development, agri-environment support, marketing, tourism, and community enterprise rather than treating nature protection in isolation. Policy influence built from field practice : The organisation says its national and European policy influence comes from practical projects on the ground, and it has helped shape agri-environment approaches in Romania. Strong local infrastructure for support : Its Saschiz office functions as a one-stop shop for rural communities, supporting farming, wildlife, local food markets, eco-tourism, and access to rural development measures. Broad partnership network : ADEPT works with a wide range of partners, including local authorities, NGOs, advisory networks, and international conservation and rural-development organisations such as Slow Food, Fauna & Flora International, and the European Commission-funded project ecosystem described on its site.