Russia Bans All U.S. Corn and Soy Imports Due to GMO Contamination

Russia’s food safety regulator Rosselkhoznadzor just announced a complete ban starting February 15 on all U.S. corn and soy imports. The ban will be instated due to genetically modified crop and microbial contamination. This is a huge blow to organic and GM farmers alike

Though the total exports to Russia from the US are small in comparison to soybean exports, totaling over $156 million in 2014, with Russia importing only 4,742 metric tons of U.S. corn, the ban will still hurt U.S. farmers.

Assistant Director of the Rosselkhoznadzor, Alexey Alekseenko said:

“Restrictions will be imposed on imports starting from February 15. They (the US) have to establish a system to ensure safety of products imported to Russia.”

According to the regulator, the corn imported from the U.S. is often infected with dry rot of maize.

In addition, according to the Russian watchdog, corn can be used for transgenic crops in Russia. The potential damage from import and spread of quarantinable objects on the territory of Russia is estimated at 10-15 bln rubles ($126 mln-189 mln) annually.

So, a combination of microbial disease and genetically mutated genes are both a concern for Russia, China, and multiple other countries who are refusing GM imports from the US.

Just months ago, President Putin’s meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry revealed the Russian leaders “extreme outrage” over the Obama regimes continued protection of global seed and plant bio-genetic giants Syngenta and Monsanto.

Russia Makes Moves in Light of Infamous GMO Rat Study

This isn’t the first time Russia made moves against GMOs. Putin has said numerous times that Russians need to be protected from GM crops.

Back in 2012, following the groundbreaking French study that graphically linked the lifetime consumption of Monsanto’s GMO corn in rats to massive tumors and direct organ failure, Russia’s premiere consumers rights organization suspended both the importation and use of Monsanto’s GMO corn within the nation’s borders.

Scientists Urge 10-Year Ban on Genetically Modified Products

In late 2013, Russian scientists called for a 10-year moratorium on GMOs to thoroughly study their influence on human health, stressing that such examinations are vital.

Vice president of Russia’s National Association for Genetic Safety, Irina Ermakova, said:

“It is necessary to ban GMOs, to impose moratorium (on) it for 10 years. While GMOs will be prohibited, we can plan experiments, tests, or maybe even new methods of research could be developed. It has been proven that not only in Russia, but also in many other countries in the world, GMOs are dangerous. Methods of obtaining the GMOs are not perfect, therefore, at this stage, all GMOs are dangerous. Consumption and use of GMOs obtained in such way can lead to tumors, cancers and obesity among animals. Bio-technologies certainly should be developed, but GMOs should be stopped. We should stop it from spreading. ”

Importation and Domestic Production of GMO Crops may Come to a Halt in Russia

Fast-Forward to February, 2014. Following lifts on implemented bans and suspensions, Russia once again started to prepare a bill that would heavily restrict the import of genetically modified agricultural produce, as well as stop it altogether from being produced domestically.

The initiative was backed by the parliamentary majority, and is an amendment to the existing law “On Safety and Quality of Alimentary Products,” which sets norms for the maximum content of transgenic and genetically modified components in Russia’s food.

The innovative draft law wouldn’t suppose a total ban, said Evgeny Fyodorov, a member of the United Russia party, but it would put imports under the government’s control and keeps it from being grown locally.

Imported products that were tested with high levels of transgenic and genetically modified ingredients would be subject to refusal.

Yakov Lyubovedsky, the head of Russia’s Organic Farming Union at the time, said that if Duma (the Russian State) can pass the bill, it would defend the entire country’s population from genetically modified foods and represent the overwhelming interests of the people at large – not the Biotech corporations.

Lyubovedsky points out that GMO is just an experiment on humanity, and many scientists might add, one that hasn’t gone very well. Over 800 scientists have already demanded that this game end.

Russian Lawmakers to Impose Criminal Penalties on those Conducting GMO Business

Not long after, Russia reportedly considered implementing some shocking rules: equating GMO-related activities that may harm human health or even cause death to terrorist acts and impose criminal liability on producers, sellers and transporters of genetically modified organisms

Under the bill, criminal responsibility should be applicable to companies and government officials only, while individuals should be subject to disciplinary liability.

Russian Experts Push for GMOs in Sanctions

Now September, an official letter penned by a group of top Russian scientists, farmers, and eco-conscious bodies was sent to Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, urging him to add all foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to the existing foods which have been sanctioned by Russia for the EU, U.S. and Australia, among other countries.

The ban suggested by these experts included 18 varieties of GMOs, including those that have been registered and approved for use in Russia, minimally as food for humans, and more so as feed for farm animals.

The experts pointed out that most countries which are producing GM foods (namely the U.S.) already have sanctions against Russia, so there is really no reason to tolerate the sub-par food pushed on these countries by big biotech companies like Monsanto (USA), Dow (USA), DuPont Pioneer (USA), Bayer (Germany), BASF (Germany).

The experts went on to offer their opinion that Russia should only purchase non-GMO food and feed products from countries which are not supporting sanctions against the country such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa – in other words, primarily the BRICS countries.

Elena Sharoykina, Director of the Russian National Association for Genetic Safety said:

“Now is a good time to stop the spread of food and feed products in Russia that contain GMOs, so we are then able to obtain objective scientific data on the impact of GMOs on the health of mammals. Independent research from domestic and foreign scientists suggests that GMOs may have an adverse effect on the health of mammals and lead to the development of diseases such as cancer, allergies, obesity, infertility, and others. To clarify the mechanisms of the impact of GMOs on living organisms, we need to continue to develop independent research in this area.”

GM Food Production Banned

What is it now, 2015?

In January, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed the Russian Federation Code of Administrative Offences into law which fines those who violate mandatory GMO labeling conditions.

In June, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Arkady Dvorkovich, announced at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Russia WILL NOT use GM crops to boost agricultural production.

Dvorkovich stated that the good quality of the soil across Russia’s land will allow the country to use other technological advances in agriculture, but GMOs won’t be one of them.

“Russia has chosen a different path. We will not use these [GM] technologies,” he said.

Due to Russia refusing GM seed, Russian products will be “one of the cleanest in the world,” according to Dvorkovich.

Later in the year, Russia announced another move in the fight against Monsanto’s GMOs, completely banning the use of genetically modified ingredients in any and all food production.

“As far as genetically-modified organisms are concerned, we have made decision not to use any GMO in food productions,” Deputy PM Arkady Dvorkovich revealed during an international conference on biotechnology.

According to official statistics the share of GMOs in Russia declined from 12% to a staggering 0.01% over the past 10 years. Currently, (remember, 2015) there are just 57 registered food products containing GMO in the country. In 2017, obligatory state registration of GMO products that might contact with the environment will come into full force.

The latest news in the beginning of this article is from February, 2016.