Putin Wants Russia to Become World's Organic Food Superpower--First, Hopes to Clip Turkey's Wings

[KoKo]

Last edited Fri Dec 4, 2015, 09:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Bryan MacDonald
Published time: 4 Dec, 2015 15:51

The Danger of a Unipolar World


Tons and tons of newspaper articles, intelligence reports, academic texts and journals are published each year in the US focused on what Putin wants. There’s a cottage industry online which debates it hourly, let alone daily or weekly. Dozens of academics and journalists have made a living out of ‘Putinology’. However, it’s pretty clear from the man’s words what he wants and has wanted for at least eight years. Putin is pushing for a multipolar world. One where the United Nations, rather than Washington, dictates the rules of the game.

Speaking Thursday, Putin called again for a “broad coalition” to fight ISIS. Of course, while France appears to favor this idea, Washington has furiously worked to derail it. Such an outcome would diminish the total control America has enjoyed over Europe for the past 25 years. Hence, it’s unfathomable to the White House, unless they are forced to acquiesce.

Food Revolution

On the domestic front, Putin delivered a business and reform-orientated speech. He conceded that an “army of inspectors” (a post-Soviet hangover) interferes with business in Russia and promised change. He also highlighted Russia’s improving demographic situation. “More people are now having second and third children. This means they believe in the future of Russia,” he said. Given the shocking state of the Russian birth-rate in the 1990’s, this recovery is a very big deal. Government policy has been successful in that area and Putin extended current financial and social incentives for a further two years.

However, for this writer, the most notable element of Putin’s speech was when he turned his attention to agriculture. Readers who have flown over Russia will have noticed the almost complete absence of intensive farming when compared with Europe or North America. The only real exception here is the southern Krasnodar region which benefits from a very benign climate. There is little doubt that if Russian got its act together in this regard, it could probably feed the whole planet.

Problems in Russian agriculture have festered throughout history. Most infamously, former Soviet ruler Nikita Khrushchev, born to a farming family, fancied himself as something of an agricultural expert, but his disastrous ‘reforms’, allied to a terrible drought, almost led to a famine as recently as 1963. The ‘Virgin Lands’ campaign of the 1950’s was also spectacularly unsuccessful.

In the 21st century, Russian food production has improved. Now, Putin is proposing a major focus on the area. “By 2020, Russia must provide itself with all food,” he implored. "We need to cultivate the millions of acres now idle.” The President suggested confiscating unused farmland and its sale to new owners willing to till it.


An Organic Dawn

As the Kremlin has rejected the idea of GMO food production, now a mainstay of American agriculture, Russia could become the world’s principal supplier of high-quality organic food. Meaning there is potential to dominate the “high-end” market in both the West and in other wealthy countries - like China and the Middle Eastern states.

"We are not only able to feed ourselves taking into account our lands, water resources – Russia is able to become the largest world supplier of healthy, ecologically clean and high-quality food which the Western producers have long lost, especially given the fact that demand for such products in the world market is steadily growing," said Putin. Of course, a major problem here is insufficient labor. However, with some European and Asian countries creaking economically, it mightn’t be so difficult to attract agriculture workers.

The Presidents annual address is always pivotal in the Russian political calendar. This year’s was somewhat overshadowed by tensions with Turkey and Moscow’s anti-ISIS campaign. Thus, the crucial emphasis on farming seems to have been ignored by the world’s media. With gas and oil prices choked, Russia needs to diversify its economy. Agriculture is a logical trump card. At this stage, Russia has everything to gain.
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https://www.rt.com/op-edge/324761-russia-putin-parliamentary-address-turkey/

[proverbialwisdom]

1. Related NYT article, 11/18/14: Organic Farms Become a Winner in Putin’s Feud With the West

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/world/europe/russia-food-sanctions-european-union-farmers.html

Organic Farms Become a Winner in Putin’s Feud With the West

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
NOV. 18, 2014

MOSCOW — Boris Akimov’s cellphone, which quacks like a duck, started to sound like a whole flock soon after President Vladimir V. Putin imposed sweeping food sanctions barring many Western imports last August.

Major Russian grocery chains, desperate to find new suppliers, tracked down Mr. Akimov, the founder of Russia’s fledgling farm-to-table movement, to ask urgent supply questions. How many chickens and eggs could he provide, they wanted to know, and could he deliver 100 tons of cheese, say, immediately.

Mr. Akimov, 36, who has a heavy beard and an infectious grin, had to turn them away — his 100 farmers produce nowhere near the amounts requested. LavkaLavka, the organic farm cooperative he and a friend set up about five years ago, sells between six and 12 tons of artisanal cheese annually, for example.

“The main thing which the sanctions have already changed is in people’s minds — in government, in business and on the streets, they have started to think more about where their food comes from,” Mr. Akimov said in an interview in his new, homey restaurant in central Moscow, where the light fixtures are sawed-off milk cans painted red. “If the sanctions give a chance to develop local farmers, to develop sustainable agriculture, it is very good. But I am not sure it will happen.”

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[KoKo]

3. Thanks! Interesting!

[swilton]

2. Great read!

[swilton]

4. The source article mentions demographics

and Putin's improvement in Russia's birthrate over the 1990's.

It's within the realm of possibility that demographics is a major driver stimulating the organic/healthy food production emphasis.

According to the CIA Fact Book, Russia ranks behind the rest of the world (153) out of 225 countries in life expectancy. More importantly, Russia's net population growth for 2015 ranks @ 203 at '-.04%' annually.

On a lot of levels Russian demographics are very elite vis a vis education levels and percentages/distribution of doctors per population. But demographically, they've had low population growth coupled with low life expectancy (some attribute to alcoholism) for decades.....While these problems aren't mentioned in Putin's speech or the referenced article, it wouldn't surprise me that these factors and the cultural affinity of Russians to land and nature are stimulants for Putin's program.