Organic Farms Become a Winner in Putin’s Feud With the West

            This article is about Russia’s sanctions on food imports, and the effect they’ve had on Russia’s organic farms. We are all aware of the strife that occurred when Russia “destabilized Ukraine”, but we’re not always aware of the far reaching effects of every action. The United States developed sanctions against Russia, and they in turn “banned all beef, pork, fish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and Norway for one year.” This lead to an increased dependence on domestic farms, which on paper appears to be a good thing. But critics suggest that the government merely makes these excuses after they act, not fully thinking through the consequences appropriately.

            But Russia’s agriculture is suffering. They simply have not had the means necessary to produce an effective amount since the early 20^th century. “’Russia cannot provide itself with dairy products, fish, vegetables and other types of food,’ said Mikhail Anshakov, the head of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights, which calls for food sanctions to be rescinded. ‘Self-imposed sanctions under these circumstances were madness.’”

            While progress is being made, and Russians seem to be moving toward caring more about their food, currently the situation is less positive. A lot of work is yet to be done, and changes need to occur in order for the sanctions to be endurable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/world/europe/russia-food-sanctions-european-union-farmers.html?_r=0