subscribe to news The strategy for the development of organic production was discussed at Prodexpo 2024

EXPOCENTRE and the Russian Quality System (Roskachestvo) in partnership with the Organic Fund held the Panel Discussion on Strategy 2030: Development, Promotion and Support of Organic Production at Prodexpo 2024, which has just started at EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds.  

Starting the event, Chair at the Council of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Consumer Market Development Alexander Borisov welcomed the discussion participants on behalf of President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin and wished them productive work. According to Mr. Borisov, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry actively supports the organics sector.

Deputy Head of Roskachevo Elena Saratseva moderated the discussion. She reminded that the Strategy for the Development of Organic Production in the Russian Federation until 2030 was approved last summer by the Russian Government in an unprecedentedly short time since the federal law on organic products came into force in 2020. Russia has become not only a country that has organics, but also a country that has its own strategy, she emphasised.

First Deputy Chair at the Russian Federation Council Committee on the Agrarian and Food Policy and Nature Management Sergey Mitin said that the issues of popularisation of organic products are under special control of the leadership of the Federation Council and the relevant committee. According to him, there is a growing interest in the development of the organic sector in Russian regions. The geography of organic production is expanding. Thus, in 2020, organics were produced in 9 subjects of Russia, and today they are already produced in 50.

The discussion focused on the necessary support for organic producers, the financial state of the industry, the expansion of the production base together with the segment of organic consumers by reducing the overall cost of production and increasing production volumes, online sales and organics in retail.

Director of the Organic Fund Vyacheslav Fedyunin shared the experience of the fund in carrying out activities to implement the Strategy. Deputy Chair at the Management Board of Rosselkhozbank Denis Konstantinov spoke in detail about the bank’s tools for the development of organic production. In particular, he said that last year the bank provided financial support to organic producers in the amount of 6.5 billion rubles. Rosselkhozbank believes that this is not enough, and expects to increase this amount in the next two to three years by 5-7 times.

Deputy Governor of the Khanty-Mansi – Ugra Autonomous Okrug Sergey Chernyaev and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Rostov Oblast Elena Tolmosova gave specific examples of promoting and supporting organic producers in their regions.  

Chair at the Union of Organic Farmers of Kuban Sergey Vodanyuk dedicated his speech to the practice of organic production under Russian organic legislation. The panel discussion was also attended by Chair at the Board of the Union of Organic Farming Sergey Korshunov, General Director of OZON Sergey Belyakov, General Director of Bio-Hutor Petrovsky Alexey Shchepetyev.

The participants noted that Russia has great resources to increase organic and natural production, but it is also necessary to increase turnover to unlock the existing potential and create a culture of consumption of organic products.

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO