Russia Officially Punishes Those Breaking GMO Labeling Laws
Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially signed the Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offences into law, which includes an article establishing that anyone violating mandatory requirements for the labeling of food products that contain GMOs be punished by law.
According to the new law, any individual breaking the law could be fined up to 50,000 rubles ($890), while any business entities in violation could be fined up to 150,000 rubles (over $5,300). These fines are virtually non-existent for big companies operating on a grander scale to provide the public with toxic, GMO-laden foods, but there is more to the punishment than simple fines.
In addition to the fines, all of the food in question will be confiscated, which would put quite a damper on business. After all, how can one operate without any food product? It seems that any company in violation would simply be forced into labeling – either that or seize business altogether.
Kirill Cherkasov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma agrarian committee, pointed out that tight regulation is needed since many GMOs have been insinuated into foreign market via the World Trade Organization. Cherkasov previously suggested that a package of amendments to the national laws regulating technical and economic aspects of GMO-related activities should be submitted by its autumn session.
Earlier this year, Russian lawmakers were considering equating GMO-related activities to a terrorist act or death threat, a criminal act that Russia says deserves the punishment which killers and creators of mass ecological and human genocide deserve.
Of course it is no surprise that Russia would strike down with such a move. In 2014, president Putin said in 2014 that Russia must protect its citizens from over-consumption of products containing genetically modified organisms. Putin believes that he can keep GMOs out of his country, even while staying in compliance with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) commandments.
In a meeting addressing the members of the Board of the Russian Federation Council he stated:
“We need to properly construct our work so that it is not contrary to our obligations under the WTO. But even with this in mind, we nevertheless have legitimate methods and instruments to protect our own market, and above all citizens.”
Meanwhile, our politicians are supporting the WTO, Monsanto, and Dow, et al., and the crazy, paid-off scientists who have eaten too much of their own GMO to know their rear-ends from a carrot top are still pushing their wares, though it causes cancer and reproductive failure. At least Putin is protecting his people from what citizens view as potential poison.
