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 20th 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calls for food sanctions to be rescinded.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
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/world/europe/russia-food-sanctions-european-union-farmers.html?_r=0
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