At the end of 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the development of nature-like technologies that reproduce systems and processes of living nature in the form of technical systems and processes integrated into the natural environment and natural resource circulation.

The implementation of such initiatives requires a new agricultural development paradigm, which will include the broad biologisation of agriculture, the study of the soil microbiome and plant microbiome, as well as soil organic carbon analysis.

The development and wide dissemination of technology are extremely important for environmental protection, experts say. The issue of soil conservation and combating desertification is relevant for both Russia and the BRICS countries.

Projects that can contribute to achieving sustainable development goals

The Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education is creating carbon test sites to monitor greenhouse gas flows in the respective ecosystems to assess their carbon balance. 

At such sites, comprehensive research is carried out, including agrochemical analyses, accounting of greenhouse gas emissions, and soil organic carbon storage, as well as assessing the impact of applying various biopreparations in soil-protective resource-saving farming technologies on the carbon cycle, photosynthesis efficiency, and the content of macro- and microelements.

Furthermore, Russian scientists are engaged in interdisciplinary research at the interface of medical and agricultural biology, studying the soil and plant microbiome.

Managing the plant microbiome has the potential to reduce plant diseases, increase agricultural production, and reduce the use of fertilisers, pesticides, and greenhouse gas emissions, making agriculture more sustainable. All these innovations are very important for BRICS members and countries that have expressed their intention to join the union.

The ways to establish technological exchange

“Today, BRICS countries’ students are studying in Russia under intergovernmental agreements. This is a good opportunity to focus the attention of our partners on technological resource-saving innovations, the application of which will make agriculture economically and environmentally efficient and preserve the unique fauna and flora”

Vitaly Vasilev Expert in organic production development in the agro-industrial sector

The expert pointed out that the regulatory legal framework of the BRICS countries requires further development, the formation of unified technical regulations, and the and the coordination of laboratory testing methods.

“Undoubtedly, the process is not easy. Developing an interface algorithm for the existing regulatory legal acts will allow us to pursue a common policy with international regulators,” Vitaly Vasilev added.

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