The State Duma is discussing a bill on a complete ban on GMOs in Russia (second reading)

In April 2015, the State Duma of the Russian Federation unanimously (!) Adopted in the first reading a bill on the complete prohibition of the use of GMOs in agriculture and animal husbandry (the text of the bill ).

The initiative of deputies caused some tension in the scientific community, because genetic engineering is considered as the most optimal and effective way to make changes in the genotype of crops to increase yields, improve the taste and nutritional values ​​of products, resistance to pests, etc. Compared with standard selection methods, genetic engineering gives the best result and does not have unpredictable consequences from random mutations of cultures.

It seemed that after the criticism of the legislative initiative, it completely stalled, and there would be no continuation. But no. A little more than a year passed and the State Duma nevertheless returned to discussion in the second reading. Now the people's deputies are discussing amendments that should be made to the bill.

In the original version, article 21 of the Federal Law of 17 December 1997 No. 149- “On seed production” (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 1997, No. 51, Art. 5715; 2011, No. 30, Art. 4596) is proposed to be added with the fourth part of the following content :
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"It is prohibited to use plant seeds for planting (planting) obtained using genetic engineering methods, including those incapable of reproducing or transferring hereditary genetic material, with the exception of their planting (planting) during examination and research work."

Clause 1 of Article 50 of the Federal Law of January 10, 2002
No. 7- “On Environmental Protection” (Meeting of the Legislation of the Russian Federation, 2002, No. 2, Article 133; 2011, No. 30, Article 4596), add the second paragraph with the following content:

"It is prohibited to grow and breed plants and animals whose genetic program has been modified using genetic engineering methods, with the exception of growing and breeding during examination and research work."

Violation entails fines of up to 500,000 rubles.

The Committee on Science of the State Duma of the Russian Federation is supported by a government bill introducing a total ban .

The first deputy chairman of the science committee, Dmitry Novikov, said that only some of the individual positions were in doubt, but in general the document was supported by the committee. Another deputy head of the committee, Alexei Chepa, acknowledged that the continuation of scientific work in this area is necessary, but he believes that “US companies are the conductor of this product”, therefore, it is necessary to ban them.

Although initially the document was adopted unanimously, now when discussing the amendments, opinions diverged. Some members of the State Duma Science Committee note the paradox of the text of the draft law, which completely prohibits the production of GMO products in Russia, but does not prohibit its import (in law the government reserves the right to prohibit the importation into Russia of only certain GMO-containing products.

There were brave people in the scientific community who opposed the unanimous decision of the State Duma and criticized the bill: “The Russian Academy of Sciences is against the total ban, which sent an official letter to the relevant committee of the State Duma signed by the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Fortov,” the chairman said in an interview to Izvestia. State Duma Committee on Science Valery Chereshnev. The proposals were prepared by the RAS Commission for Genetic Engineering, headed by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University Mikhail Kirpichnikov.

In addition to the scientists of the RAS, even one State Duma deputy Andrei Tumanov opposed the ban on GMOs. He believes that Russian society has become a victim of black PR and has little knowledge of the essence of genetic engineering: “Public figures are afraid to talk about it now, as if they were in favor of allowing GMOs to be produced, this could adversely affect their electoral ratings. Many of the participants in the discussion associate GMOs with monsters and mutations and cannot explain the elementary principles of these processes, ”said Tumanov.

One way or another, but consideration of the bill to ban GMOs continues. The State Duma Science Committee reported that three main proposals are now on the agenda:

• prohibit the production of GMOs at all;
• allow production of GMO products only for medical and scientific purposes;
• allow cultivation of GMO products to domestic producers.

In the near future, the committee will adopt the text of the amendments “taking into account the opinion of the expert community” and send the new draft of the draft law to the State Duma for voting.

Probably, the parliamentarians will not have time to consider the amendments to this working session, so that the adoption of the draft law may again be delayed.

Since the 1970s, scientists have been studying the potential risks associated with the use of GMOs. More than a thousand scientific articles on this topic have been published, and so far scientists have not been able to find any signs of the negative impact of GM crops on human health, on the environment, and on farm activities. Moreover, some evidence was found of the positive effect of GMOs on human health due to a reduction in the number of insecticidal poisonings and an increase in the level of vitamins in the population of developing countries.



In the world, 12% of all arable land is occupied by GM crops. For example, in the USA in 2015, genetically modified crops accounted for 99% of the harvest of sugar beet, 94% of soybeans, 94% of cotton, and 92% of fodder corn.