Believe it or not, Russia has a unique opportunity to beat the West at its own game. And it's not about gas supplies or oil extraction — it's about food production.
The country's arable land amounts to 2,168,400 square kilometers; however, the crux of the matter is that Russia's agricultural workers largely avoided sowing genetically modified crops or exhausting the soil by using herbicides. That means Russia's arable lands are perfectly suited for natural food production.
It is remarkable that the significant portion of Vladimir Putin's annual address to the Russian Duma was devoted to agricultural reform, aimed at bolstering the sector, Seth Ferris, investigative journalist and political scientist, notes in his analysis for New Eastern Outlook.
"On the surface, the agriculture reform seems merely logical. This is exactly why commentators have been searching so hard for hidden meaning. Russia never adopted the mass-production methods of Western agriculture… It therefore has vast swathes of land which could be used productively but are currently idle. It makes a lot of sense for Russia to want to put this land to use, and if it is going to spend state money on such a program it is obviously going to try and get the highest return it can," Ferris narrates.
Indeed, in one of his recent articles for the same media outlet American researcher and author F. William Engdahl praised Russia for banning genetically modified products on its territory as well as GMO imports from the US.
"Russia is making consequent its decision last fall to ban the commercial planting of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO in its agriculture acreage. The latest decision, effective February 15, 2016 does not at all please Monsanto or the US Grain Cartel," Engdahl wrote, adding that the Kremlin policy is dealing a heavy blow to Western GMO cartels.
According to Ferris, there are a number of political factors lying beneath Vladimir Putin's proposed agricultural reforms, which obviously include the West's sanctions policy against Moscow.
"If these reforms are successful, Russia will indeed become a major organic food producer, and this will have considerable political consequences the West will not like," Ferris notes.
Given the fact that Russia possesses vast arable lands and has practical experience in livestock farming, it seems surprising that for years the country has imported a wide variety of agricultural products from abroad instead of boosting its own agricultural sector.
"The West is very fond of proclaiming principles and then completely ignoring them. When it does, Russia takes advantage. It imposed sanctions on Russia whilst ignoring them elsewhere, so Russia has to grow its own food and the West will want to pay for it," Ferris remarks.
"If it can get its land working, Russia will give the people of developing countries as well as trendy Westerners what they want," the investigative journalist emphasizes.
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| 0 | Edit | Delete Here's another niche Russia can utilize: Unorthodox cancer research. Imagine the political and humanitarian benefits if Russia could develop a cure for cancer.
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| -1 | Edit | Delete let us see the food flow. More people do need to work in the sector though. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete siberianhusky, that's what comes with genetic decline...:) Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete art, well stated! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete ultravi01et, agreed, it's relative....:) Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete JoyInStruggle, already being done and has been done for decades. Personal knowledge of research conducted in Russia. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete backfromthegraav, To the contrary, clean or local food is very popular and profitable now in the US. Buy local or grow your own movements still have a lot of people to reach. Even food stamps have been expanded to be allowed at farmers markets instead of only factory farm corporate stores. Even a lot of the corporate stores have bread with unbleached flour and organic flours (which mean non-GMO). One reason the GMO lobby fights so hard against labels is that given a choice, people would by non-GMO almost every time. Reply 
| -4 | Edit | Delete jas, Well does confirm that AmeirCuns are a rich nation; that should stand them in well when China moves to the Gold Standard in April 2016 Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete "the Kremlin policy is dealing a heavy blow to Western GMO cartels" Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete backfromthegraav, Not all of us. Many of us will be buying as much good, clean Russian food products as we can get. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete hans.schultz, I think they speak of the manipulations that are not genetically inserting insect proteins (or whatever) into the product, but that only enhance size, color and shortened growth periods. Those little bitty "personal" watermelons you get at the store? Enhanced to only grow so big. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete JoyInStruggle, As it has been in the past, any scientist who actually comes close to a cure for cancer will meet his doom, either professionally, literally or both. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete USA vassals are reaping what they sow.GMO will eventually kill produce mutants in the west Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Well done.
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| -3 | Edit | Delete sixpack6t9, may not be sold or availale to countriers that do not pay in real Gold ! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Pentagonisabeast, That might explain where congress came from...LOL, they just HAVE to be mutants of some kind. They sure aren't "normal" Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete backfromthegraav, The govt of this country is too stupid to do what's right for the country as a whole, but I suspect all the elites buy only the best, clean food for themselves anyway. I'll be good as long as Russia services individuals like me...especially like me.
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| 0 | Edit | Delete Excellent.The world is getting hungry Russia will be the world best food exporter while GM food will pollute the West Reply 
| -2 | Edit | Delete sixpack6t9, Which is closer when standing in Miami ..the Moon or florida coastline .... can see teh moon ... LOL ! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete The dumb West doesn't know what they are doing to themselves.
Show new comments (0)JoyInStruggle
This may not be as difficult as it seems. The Medical Establishment here in the "West" is dominated by profit-driven "Big Pharma". As a result, the barbaric counterproductive "treatments" of the 1950s -- radiation and chemotherapy -- are still being offered as the primary forms of treatment. Promising new treatments such as DCA and immunotherapy go unexplored because the giant pharmaceutical corporations find them unprofitable. What is needed then is government funding for unconventional research. ....
Russia may be able to achieve what the "West" has failed to achieve, because the government in Russia is not dominated by giant pharmaceutical corporations.
michael
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Remember though that there is no one cancer.
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Ann
-- (does a little victory dance)--
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Pentagonisabeast
klod.infobeez
I notice that RF as already prohibited GMOs. While USA is producing just hormons-antibiotics stuffed "meat" and GMOs spread with toxicous pest killers, Russia will produce tasty and healthy products...
What will you buy, even if it's not for to support Russia but just for the health and pleasure of your family ? Hmmmm... ?
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(alert: sarcasm ahead)
Otherwise, I guess I'll have to jump in a dingy and head on out to the Bering sea. It looks like a short distance on the map. If I paddle hard, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...LOL.
Pentagonisabeast
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dewatergeus
Europe is dummed down by Brother Barry and Europe follow the "exceptional man" like geese.
Again, we in the West are a brave and arrogant people: we put sanctions on countries who do not comply to our greed and which do not let us steal their resources as WE LIKE. Everytime these stupid EU parliamentatian chickens are putting more and more santions on Russia, it is the next bullet ishot n their foot, now it is for not freeing the alleged murderer of Russian journalists by this UkroNazi Nadua, yes NAZI, the EU is so protective for Nazis, they even put more sanctions on Russia for it.
Russia is saving Europe again in the near future: against hunger!
Completely Non-GMO? Bill and Linda do not like this at all, neither does Monsanto, Synerga, BASF and Big Pharma. Mr. Putin is actually doing nothing more with russiaN food policy then following the tips the West is advertising for its customers: EAT HEALTHY! And there we go, everything in the West will be poisened by GMO, Pesticites. after introducing the peace- and healthy bringer TTIP. After intro of TTIP Europe (and USA) we will be glad to pay for NON-GMO food. Thank you Russia for your brilliant vision, so simple and logical.
I was waiting for Russia's next move and here it is: AGAIN, a Russian master stroke!
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