February 2, 2010

Source: Black Sea Biotechnology Association

Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, signed yesterday the country’s “Doctrine of food security”, which is targeted at “reliable supply to the population of food, development of national agricultural and fisheries’ industry, timely respond to internal and external threats to stability of the national food market, effective participation in international co-operation in the field of food security”

The major tasks in providing for food security irrelevantly to changes in internal or external conditions are:

• timely prognosis, identification and prevention of external and external threats to food security, minimization of their adverse effects due to permanent readiness of the system of food supply, formation of strategic reserve of food products;
• sustainable development of the national production of food and raw food necessary to support food independence of the country;
• achieving and maintaining physical and economic access to safe food for every citizen in amount and variety of products, which meet reasonable standards of food consumption to provide active and healthy lifestyle;
• ensuring food security.

The Doctrine establishes the level of the country's food supply through domestic production:

• grains - not less than 95%;
• sugar - not less than 80%;
• plant oils - not less than 80%;
• meat and meat products (calculated meat content) - not less than 85%;
• milk and dairy products (calculated milk content) - not less than 90%;
• fish - not less than 80%;
• potato - not less than 95%;
• salt - not less than 85%.

Biotechnology is mentioned three times:

• development of fundamental and applied research in medical and biological safety assessment of new sources of food and food ingredients, introduction of innovative technologies including bio- and nano-technologies, technologies of production of organic food and sources of food - as key priority in formation of healthy nutrition;
• establishment of the system of interrelated indicators providing for food safety including food derived from sourced obtained through genetically modified organisms - as one of key tasks in providing for availability of food;
• exclusion of the uncontrolled proliferation of food products derived from genetically modified plants, with the use of genetically modified micro-organisms and micro-organisms , which have genetically modified analogs - as one of the goals of ensuring food safety.

The Doctrine also declares the need to implement effective work of the sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary control in accordance with international rules and standards.

Website: http://www.bsbanet.org

Published: February 2, 2010