Russia will
not import GMO products, the country’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said,
adding that the nation has enough space and resources to produce organic food.
Moscow has
no reason to encourage the production of genetically modified products or
import them into the country, Medvedev told a congress of deputies from rural
settlements on Saturday.
“If the
Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do
that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic food,” he said.
The prime
minister said he ordered widespread monitoring of the agricultural sector. He
added that despite rather strict restrictions, a certain amount of GMO products
and seeds have made it to the Russian market.
Earlier, agriculture minister Nikolay Fyodorov also stated that Russia should remain free of genetically modified products.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a meeting of United Russia deputies from Russian rural villages in Volgograd on April 5, 2014. (RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Shtukina) |
Earlier, agriculture minister Nikolay Fyodorov also stated that Russia should remain free of genetically modified products.
At the end
of February, the Russian parliament asked the government to impose a temporary
ban on all genetically altered products in Russia.
The State
Duma’s Agriculture Committee supported a ban on the registration and trade of
genetically modified organisms. It was suggested that until specialists develop
a working system of control over the effects of GMOs on humans and the natural
environment, the government should impose a moratorium on the breeding and
growth of genetically modified plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Earlier
this month, MPs of the parliamentary majority United Russia party, together
with the ‘For Sovereignty’ parliamentary group, suggested an amendment of the
existing law On Safety and Quality of Alimentary Products, with a norm set for
the maximum allowed content of transgenic and genetically modified components.
There is
currently no limitation on the trade or production of GMO-containing food in
Russia. However, when the percentage of GMO exceeds 0.9 percent, the producer
must label such goods and warn consumers. Last autumn, the government passed a
resolution allowing the listing of genetically modified plants in the Unified
State Register. The resolution will come into force in July.
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