Legislation, Norms, Standards, and Certification in the Field of Agriculture and Adjacent Fields
Notwithstanding the absence of the legislative basis for the organic agriculture, Belarus signed and ratified a number of international documents which according to the Belarusian legislation are the laws inland. Many of such documents can form the basis for the practical actions in introduction of ecological economic methods. First of all it is the legislation in the stable development field.
Notwithstanding the fact that in general the paradigm of nature management in our country remains the same, there are some changes, although insignificant towards the larger “ecologization” of agricultural field.
Let's review some documents touching the agricultural sector of the Belarusian economy.
The organic agriculture answers the purposes determined in National Strategy of Stable Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus for the period till 2020 (НСУР), including the purposes for the agricultural sector in the long term perspective “the formation of the effective competitive stable and ecologically safe agricultural production, which conforms to the international standard and provides food safety of the country”.
It is recommended in section 4.2.6 “The Introduction of Modern Ecologically Safe Techniques” to use biological plant protection facilities, subsurface tillage, to use the principles of permaculture, i.e. methods of organic agriculture.
The Code about Land of the Republic of Belarus of January 4, 1999 No 226-З (in the reading of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 05.08.2002 No.99-З) regulates the land relationship and is directed to the rational use and protection of land, equitable development of different economic forms on the land, the preservation and improvement of the environment, the protection of the land entitlement of the subjects of the land relationship.
“Main Provisions of the Socio-Economic Development Program of the Republic of Belarus for 2001-2005. Main Trends of the Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus for the period till 2010”. Such purposes as to preserve the natural resources for the needs of future generations, to restore the soil fertility, to preserve plant and animal life and the ecological balance in the field of ecology are faced in this document.
Now 12 state programs are conducted in the field of agricultural sector. When considering these documents, it becomes obvious that the organic agriculture on a state level was not considered to be the essential element of the agricultural sector of economy.
“State Program of the Revival and Development of the Village for 2005-2010” was adopted by President Decree No.150 on 03.25.2005. Now it is planed to develop the intensive agriculture and the administrative methods of management, the emphasis is placed on receiving of the highest possible harvest. Only in paragraph 2.3 “The Increase of the Soil Fertility” the introduction of the “ecological landownership” methods are mentioned as one of the measure. It is the only mentioning of this term in the document.
State Principal Program of the Fruit Growing Development for 2004-2010 “Fruit Growing”, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus on May, 31, 2004, has its aim to increase the fruit and berry production due to the further intensification of agricultural production. Not chemical methods, but managerial-economic, agricultural and biological methods shall be used as the desirable methods of plant protection from the illnesses and pests.
Now there is no definition of the terms “ecological (organic) agriculture”, “pollution-free product” in the legislation, agricultural practice, public opinion. The fact that in spite of the broad use of the terms “pollution-free product” its contest is realized by different people and organizations in different ways is the evidence. Even in scientific works connected with organic agriculture the terms are not determined or are determined not in accordance with the international standards, IFOAM standards in particular.
Therefore, the ecological product is difficult to identify and the placing of this name on the label is not regulated legislative and lies on the producer's conscience. In some cases the term substitution takes place. Very often the products containing permissible radionuclide concentration, e.g. in the textbook called “Agricultural Ecological Basis of the Pollution-Free Production”, are called pollution-free products.
There are no certification establishments for the organic agriculture in Belarus, therefore some experts (Tarasenko, Sviridov) recommend to enjoy the service of foreign certification centers from other countries.
Under the information, provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Provisions (No.10-3/13858 on 11.10.2006) in answer to the inquiry, there is no differential organic production mark in Belarus, there is no the state certification system for the holdings which produce ecological foodstuffs and there is no normative legal acts for the pollution-free production. The absence of the organic marking in Belarus is the absence of the instrument of the producer encouragement from one hand and the decrease of the opportunity to inform the customers about the goods properties from another. Many foodstuff producers would like to mark their production with the mark “pollution-free product” and it will allow them to get competitive advantage. One of the farmers expressed his proposition to establish such mark by the public organizations.