title: Introduction: Russia’s Nutritional Autocracy
abstract: Extract On October 21, 2021, Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed a select group of domestic and foreign experts at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club. As expected, Putin railed against Western policies and values, touted Russia's achievements, and snapped at even mild critiques of his government's actions. Putin also framed food as an emerging global concern. "Russia is making a significant contribution to food security today . . . we are exporting over US$25 billion worth o