The law on organic farming: what will it give and when will it be adopted?

Why does Russia need this law

As soon as there was a demand for healthy food, people in stores saw products labeled eco, bio, farm. The price of products with such words in the title is usually an order of magnitude, or even two times higher than similar ones. But there are no norms and rules that guarantee that behind these words there is a truly organically pure product grown without the use of chemicals. In fact, any manufacturer can write whatever he wants in the product name. More and more people understand that the quality of their life depends on the naturalness of products. Now organic products are grown in small farms or exported from Europe. In 2018, they occupy no more than 2% on the Russian market, and all the rest are grown using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Pesticides and herbicides are poisons that kill insects, weeds, and other pests. They allow you to spend less effort on growing plants, but they have a negative side: they are absorbed into the soil, and then through the water they get inside the plants. Many agricultural officials may say that pesticides are harmless to humans and it is enough to peel vegetables to get rid of them. But poisons dissolved in the soil pass through the whole plant with water and are contained in it in varying degrees of concentration. Fruits are one of the places where they are most concentrated. Apples, grains, oranges, grapes, watermelons, etc. – these are all the fruits for which agriculture is organized. Unfortunately, it is now very difficult to buy fruits that do not contain pesticides and herbicides, although a hundred years ago these poisons did not exist, and they were perfectly grown.

For example, chlorine-containing pesticides are similar in composition and action to poisonous substances that were used against soldiers during the First World War. Synthetic fertilizers are similar to a steroid – they provide intensive plant growth, but at the same time they are artificial in composition (they are made from chemical industry waste and oil). These fertilizers literally inflate the plants like a balloon, while the benefits from them are many times less than from small natural ones. Unlike synthetic, organic fertilizers naturally restore soil fertility, they are natural for plants in their composition. And what is important, such fertilizers are made from living raw materials: rotted grass, manure, algae, shells, etc.

Let’s compare two people: one person works well because he gets enough sleep and eats well, and the second one eats everything, drinks pills, stimulants and energy drinks. It is not difficult to guess which of them will be healthy and live long, and which one will burn his body from the inside with chemistry.

Now farm products cost two to three times more than conventional products, but you will never know if they are really grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Honest farmers make money from growing clean products, but dishonest producers who pass off their products as environmentally friendly also take advantage of this. In general, they take advantage of the fact that there is no state control and legislation regulating organic farming. And ordinary people, as a rule, are ignorant in this matter and are guided by the inscriptions on the packaging. There is also confusion in understanding what organic products are, biological, natural and ecological. The culture of where you can buy truly organic and healthy food is just emerging. 

What functions will the law take on?

Create and approve standards for growing products. It will spell out the mandatory requirements for fertilizers, seeds, and growing conditions. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in production are legally excluded.

Will create a system of certification and labeling of products. Each product must be tested and receive confirmation of quality. Only then the name organic will guarantee the purchase of a 100% natural product.

Create a control service and a system for detecting fakes. It is necessary because fakes always appear on a popular organic product, unscrupulous manufacturers try to pass off their product as organic.

In addition, the law will create conditions for uniting product manufacturerswishing to grow organic plants, into a single organization.

What is the benefit of the law

Will provide the basis for the health of Russians. Food is a building material for the body; by nature, a person is adapted to eating organic products. The body has great difficulty digesting the chemicals that are ingested through the soil from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The digestive system has to work hard to remove chemicals from the body, and some of them cannot be removed at all, and they accumulate. In any case, feeding on chemicals weakens you and gradually destroys your health.

Provides reasonable prices. Many do not believe that organic products can be cheaper than conventional ones, but this is not true. Mass organic farming will allow you to grow products with adequate cost, so they will cost no more than usual.

Representatives of the organic union, an organization that brings together producers of organic products, said they expect the law to be passed by the end of 2018. Already, the Institute of Organic Agriculture conducts advanced training courses for agricultural workers. All this speaks of the successful start of the development of organic production. Government officials, scientists and industry workers are working on people’s demand for healthy eating. This is becoming a reality, because more and more people refuse synthetic food and choose, albeit more expensive, but a natural product.

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