The author uses official
government statistics to show that in 2004 garden
plots, typically measuring just 600m2 and tended only at weekends
, produced 51% (by value) of the total
agricultural output of the Russian Federation.
This represents 384 billion rubles (approx. US$14 bn at the
then current exchange rate), or 2.3% of Russia’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), greater than the contribution to the GDP
of the coal (54
bn rubles), natural gas (63 bn), and oil refining (88 bn) industries combined. It means 51% of food was produced on just 3% of agricultural land. He argues that the only thing that has kept Russia from major domestic conflict has been the ability of ordinary Russians to feed themselves from their gardens.
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