Moscow's decision to destroy embargoed food causes controversy
Moscow (AsiaNews) – The controversial decision by the Russian government, approved by the Kremlin, to destroy banned Western food products has met with strong criticism.
A year ago, Moscow imposed an embargo on Western goods in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukrainian crisis. Last week, Agriculture Minister Aleksandr Tkachev issued a directive to destroy banned goods. President Vladimir Putin backed the decision and signed a decree implementing the directive with 6 August as the starting date.
Russia’s Federal Customs Service, as well as Rosselkhoznadzor and Rospotrebnadzor, the two agencies responsible for agricultural products and consumer rights, will be in charge of confiscation and destruction.
Citing a source in the Ministry of Agriculture, the Kommersant newspaper today reported that embargoed products already inside the Federation would also be destroyed, not only those seized at the border.
Russian authorities are expected to send inspectors in the coming weeks to warehouses and other businesses across the country.
Not everyone likes. Some political leaders and civil society groups have openly criticised it.
For a country that suffered hunger and famine throughout its history, the destruction of food raises serious ethical issues, wrote the Vedomosti newspaper.
Instead of destroying the goods, Duma member Andrei Krutov proposed that the government send them to eastern Ukraine, scene of fighting between pro-Russian separatists and government forces.
The Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights suggested that the food be sent to orphanages or homes for the elderly.
Alexander Boroda, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, agrees. Instead of destroying these goods, they should be given to charities, like orphanages, or to the homeless.
"We believe that is more rational and fair to give the seized goods to charities for the needy than to destroy them," the Jewish leader said in a press release.
Moscow imposed counter-sanctions on 6 August 2014, banning fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy products imported from the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and Norway.
The embargo was recently extended by another year, until 5 August 2016, following the decision of the European Union and the United States to renew their sanctions.
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