Starting June 1, 2026, a new national standard — GOST R 72024-2025 "Fresh Fruits. General Specifications" — will come into force across the Russian Federation. The document, approved by Rosstandart, establishes strict criteria for the quality and environmental safety of pome and stone fruits with improved characteristics.

The new standard does not abolish existing regulations but rather supplements them, forming a legal framework for separating environmentally friendly products into a distinct market category. The GOST applies to the most popular categories:

• Pome fruits (apples, pears);
• Stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, sour cherries, and sweet cherries).

Key Requirements of the New Standard

GOST R 72024-2025 fundamentally revises the approach to assessing the safety of agricultural products and the cultivation process. The main innovations include:

• Tighter Chemical Control: The document specifies and significantly lowers the maximum permissible limits for toxic elements, pesticide residues, and mycotoxins in fruits.
• Complete Ban on GMOs: The standard imposes an absolute ban on the use of genetically modified organisms. This requirement applies not only to the fruits themselves but also to all planting materials (seeds, seedlings) from which they are grown.
• Ecologization of Agricultural Technologies: The cultivation of fruits permits the use of only safe, so-called "improved" agrochemicals, fertilizers, and plant protection products.

Strict Production Rules and the "Green Standard"

In addition to product requirements, the GOST regulates the structure of the agricultural business. The production of fruits with improved characteristics must be technologically completely isolated from the cultivation of other crops. This is necessary to prevent cross-contamination of soil and harvests. Farmers are also required to implement systemic measures to restore the natural environment and ensure environmental safety in their territories.

Fruits produced in strict compliance with the new standard and successfully passing state certification will be entitled to a special label — the "Green Standard" (Zelyony Etalon) mark. According to Rosstandart representatives, this will help reduce the negative impact of agriculture on the climate and increase the competitiveness of Russian food products in both domestic and foreign markets.

The introduction of GOST R 72024-2025 and the "Green Standard" labeling is an important signal for foreign partners, primarily Chinese suppliers of fresh fruits to the Russian market. Strict requirements regarding the complete absence of GMOs, pesticide control, and the technological isolation of land plots will require Chinese agribusinesses to conduct a thorough audit of their export batches. However, those Chinese enterprises capable of confirming compliance with the new Russian eco-standards will gain a significant competitive advantage and priority access to the shelves of leading Russian federal retail chains within the highly profitable "Green Standard" category.