Russia’s organic food market receives a boost

‘Most significantly, the subject matter of the law is in line with the expectations of the organic community’, says Oleg Mironenko, Executive Director of the National Organic Union. ‘Currently, the amendments make it possible to legalise national and international standards that were previously not binding, help to clear supermarket shelves of fake organic products, identify and force dishonest players - using the term "organic" as a trick - out of the market.’

Anatoliy Nakaryakov, Executive Director of Savinskaya Niva, which produces organic beef as well as organic cereal, pulse and fodder crops, supports his counterparts and expresses his point of view.

‘What is important is that organic producers have been heard and responsibility for unlawful labelling of products as organic introduced’, says Anatoliy Nakaryakov. ‘But I am also concerned that there will be a lot of counterfeit products. Stringent civic control is required. We need mass advertising of the organic product label for it to be easily recognisable to consumers.’

The blurred concepts in the law have been clearly defined.

‘We have accomplished ban on the use of pesticides, agrochemicals, antibiotics, growth stimulants, hormones and GMOs’, says Oleg Mironenko, ‘with the exception of the agents the use of which is allowed in organic production by national and international standards.’ Now the law will have clear guidelines for the certifying authorities, as well as the course of action specifying what steps the manufacturer needs to take in order for his products to be recognized as organic.

Now the law will have clear guidelines for the certifying authorities, as well as the course of action specifying what steps the manufacturer needs to take in order for his products to be recognized as organic.