The World’s Largest GMO-Free Territory

In July of this year the Russian Federation passed a law that prohibits genetically modified agriculture. With this law signed by Vladimir Putin, Russia becomes the largest GMO free land in the world, ahead the European Union, explains Elena Sharoykina for Global research. Russia joins the group of the 30 other countries that have banned GMO. The old continent has some of the strictest laws on the matter. Only five countries still use GMO crops in their agriculture. However, the tendency is declining. The EU allows only two types of GMO for commercial harvesting. The United States of America on the contrary keeps cultivating the GMO culture. It allows more than 96 GMO varieties and it also intends to expands it through transatlantic treaties such as TTIP or the merger of giant companies like Monsanto and Bayer.

Previously Russian scientists and environmental organizations expressed their concern over the long term health issues that GMO food products can bring. They're worried mostly about all the unknown effects that haven’t been discovered because they can only be seen in the long run. The Kremlin takes the matter of food security pretty seriously and decided to ban these products. As Seattle Organic Restaurants quotes Russia’s former president and current Prime Minister Medvedev: “Moscow has no reason to encourage the production of genetically modified products or import them into the country. If the Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic foods.”