Environmental information and information about the state of food security: the relationship of the concepts

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of such an urgent issue for the modern stage of our state’s existence as the legal provision of informing the population about the state of food security. As a result, a theoretical and legal analysis of the concept of «environmental information» was carried out in the context of providing the population with information about the state of food security in the country. The expediency of expanding the content of the term «environmental information» with information about the state of health and safety of people has been determined. This information should not only relate to food safety information, but also include information on the country’s food security status. The corresponding amendments to the environmental legislation regarding the definition of the concept of «environmental information» as meeting the international standards of environmental information were positively evaluated. The need to include information on the quality and safety of food products in the food safety criteria is substantiated. Attention is focused on negative trends in the legal regulation of ensuring the quality and safety of food products in the conditions of war. A conclusion was made about the violation of a number of principles of state policy in the sphere of ensuring sanitary and epidemic welfare of the population due to: simplification of state registration of plant protection products; simplification of state registration of plant varieties that were created using genetically modified sources; enabling the introduction into circulation of feed additives that consist of, contain or are made from genetically modified organisms. It has been proven that the implementation of such regulatory provisions can pose threats to both human health and the natural environment.