Problems and prospects for organic agriculture in Russia

ABSTRACT

Russian policymakers have ambitions to become a major exporter of organic foods, capturing as much as 10% of the world’s organic market. Russia’s war with Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions render this goal unrealistic for the foreseeable future. Aside from the war, this article examines factors that affect the growth of Russia’s organic food sector. We argue that although Russia’s organic food sector has come far in a short period of time, it is unlikely to dislodge the primacy of industrial agriculture, which remains the cornerstone of agricultural production in Russia and in other developed states. The organic food market in Russia is likely to remain a niche market, which means that Russia will remain wedded to industrial agriculture and the food it produces.

KEYWORDS:

• Russia
• agriculture
• organic food
• food security
• industrial agriculture

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Russia’s National Organic Union was formed in 2013 and is a non-state organisation that represents more than 70% of domestic participants in the organic market. It works to protect their interests and provide assistance and advice.

Additional information

Funding

No special funding was obtained for this article