ИСТИНА

The paper discusses the development of organic agriculture in Russia: its specifics, geographical patterns, and expected socio-ecological effects. For this work, the authors used data from public sources, e.g. local media and websites of organic producers, analyzed legal framework, and interviewed individual organic producers and association managers. According to the diffusion of innovations theory, the development of organic agriculture in Russia is yet in its early stages. Large investors were the first to develop organic production in Russia being motivated by the healthy food demands. Over the past 10 years, the number of organic farms has grown and the area of organic land has increased 15 times; new service sectors and markets have emerged; the organic production has been given state recognition with the national law adoption, and environmental and social issues became part of the practices and motives of organic producers. The distribution of organic enterprises is spatially uneven and depends on natural conditions, agrarian past, and proximity to Moscow as the largest sales market. Organic farming contributes to the restoration of the traditional cultural landscape by creating an environment that conforms to traditional land use patterns and does not aesthetically disturb the harmony of the local place. It removes traces of abandonment in depopulated regions and makes the area attractive for agritourism. The observed development of organic agriculture is expected to contribute to the resilience of rural Russia.