Banned food destruction: Images of Russian bulldozers moving in to destroy 319 tons of illegal Western food imports in line with a presidential decree have sparked a public outcry with a petition calling for the order to be revoked attracting 250,000 signatures and prompting leading public figures to call on the government to give the food to the needy instead.
The decree was intended to staunch the flow of banned Western produce over Russia’s border with Belarus and authorities began destroying shipments of illegally imported Western food products last Thursday. The state State agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has rejected calls to distribute the food to the poor instead, arguing that it would encourage corruption.
The destroyed shipments include 4.5 tons of cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes in the Bryansk Region, 9 tons of cheese in the Belgorod Region and 20 tons of cheese (seized last October) in St. Petersburg.
The decree was intended to staunch the flow of banned Western produce over Russia’s border with Belarus and authorities began destroying shipments of illegally imported Western food products last Thursday. The state State agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has rejected calls to distribute the food to the poor instead, arguing that it would encourage corruption.
The destroyed shipments include 4.5 tons of cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes in the Bryansk Region, 9 tons of cheese in the Belgorod Region and 20 tons of cheese (seized last October) in St. Petersburg.
Source: rbth