It’s been some frustrating times for the Russian consumer lately, although incomes have risen somewhat typical food staples have risen in some cases close to 20 percent. Ironically a country that spans double digit time zones, has a cold climate but in many cases fertile soil, and a relatively small population, imports most of its food. This has left it vulnerable to the fluctuations in prices of commodities, which have been rising lately at an inopportune time for upcoming elections. This would be a worse situation if not for a rising Ruble, the only thing the government can do in the short-term like decrease taxes on imported food, like they plan to do with dairy. With all the potential in agriculture has, I have no doubt American and European agricultural giants will flock to build the billions of dollars in infrastructure Russia needs to be self-sustaining, what is needed simply are laws that will be enforced to protect their investments, like so much of the rest of the economy.