The state management system for environmental protection in agriculture

Government Agencies and Their Scopes of Control

Compliance with environmental legislation in agriculture relies on a clear division of authority between government bodies. All structures are divided into two categories: those of general competence (the President of the Russian Federation, the Federal Assembly, the Government of the Russian Federation, regional and local authorities) and those of special competence. For the practical work of the agronomic service, agencies of special competence authorized to perform specific environmental protection tasks — complex, sectoral, and functional — are of paramount importance.

The lead agency for the entire system is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (Minprirody). The agency has evolved from the state committees for environmental protection of 1988 and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of 1994 to its modern organizational structure of 2008. Minprirody performs control and inspection functions but is not classified as an economic ministry and does not directly manage the exploitation of natural resources, which ensures the independence of environmental control.

The structure of Minprirody includes specialized federal services and agencies that exercise their powers, including through territorial bodies in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

• The Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor) — performs a comprehensive environmental protection function;
• The Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) — is responsible for comprehensive monitoring of the natural environment;
• The Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Atomic Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) — is classified as a functional body alongside the State Customs Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

The key comprehensive environmental protection function in the agricultural sector is performed by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor). Its direct control includes:

• state land control on agricultural lands;
• ensuring soil fertility;
• control over the safe handling of pesticides and agrochemicals;
• control over grain quality;
• state forest control in forestry units and forest parks, supervision of regional forest control bodies, and state fire supervision in forests.

Sectoral supervision within the structure of the Ministry of Agriculture is conducted by two federal agencies. The Federal Agency for Fishery monitors the protection and use of aquatic biological resources and their habitats. The Federal Forestry Agency is responsible for state forest control, the granting of plots for use, as well as the organization of protection, defense, and reproduction of forests on lands of the forest fund.

Comprehensive functions for ensuring the environmental safety of the population are also performed by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). The agency coordinates the sanitary protection of the environment, develops sanitary standards and regulations, supervises their compliance, and informs the public.

Public Environmental Control and the Non-Profit Sector

In addition to government agencies, the environmental movement plays an important role in shaping environmental discipline. Public organizations serve as an additional tool for control and the dissemination of environmental knowledge, which directly influences compliance with eco-standards when managing a farm.

The public environmental movement in Russia is represented by the following organizational forms:

• voluntary societies (Russian Society for the Protection of Nature, Society for the Protection of Animals, and others);
• unions (Environmental Union, "Ecology and Peace" association);
• foundations (V.I. Vernadsky Non-Governmental Ecological Foundation);
• amateur clubs and private organizations.

Despite the diversity of organizational forms, these associations solve unified practical tasks. These include the dissemination of environmental knowledge, environmental education, direct participation in solving local environmental problems, and the implementation of public environmental control.

International Standards and Global Environmental Control Institutions

Environmental protection in agriculture relies not only on national legislation but also on global experience. Multi-level government structures operate in developed countries. For example, in the USA, key functions are performed by the Environmental Protection Agency, under which an extensive system of authorized bodies and an active public movement operate. For an agronomist, international practice is important primarily for pesticide application regulations, climate monitoring, and the protection of water resources.

The realization of environmental problems and the development of a global crisis in the mid-20th century led to the emergence of a number of international organizations. Their work directly affects the agricultural sector: from tracking dangerous chemical compounds to protecting migratory birds and fish stocks in areas bordering agricultural lands.

International environmental institutions are divided into three main groups:

• Conservation-oriented: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 1972), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 1947), international non-governmental organization "Greenpeace" (1971).
• Integrated environmental profile: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 1945), World Health Organization (WHO, 1946), World Meteorological Organization (WMO, 1946).
• Specialized environmental profile: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 1957), International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC, established within the UNESCO system, 1946), as well as organizations for the protection of seas, fish stocks, and migratory birds.