London ( CNN ) -- Russia 's beef with the west has escalated after the country banned fruit , vegetables , dairy and meat products from a host of Western nations including the U.S. , Australia , Canada and those of the European Union . And by hitting agriculture in particular , Russia has deliberately gone for a sector key to the EU 's founding treaties -- one which evokes all sorts of emotive and divisive rhetoric . As we have seen from the decades-long , fraught battles over reforming the bloc 's most expensive scheme -- one which gobbles up some 40 % of its budget -- food production has the capacity to get Europe 's citizens pretty upset . Spearheaded by France in the days of post-war shortages , the Common Agricultural Policy saw the then European Community granted the power to subsidize exports to give non-EU countries . That gave Russia , for instance , a taste for European produce . It 's a strategy that worked . Which foods are off Russian menus ? Two decades after the Iron curtain shut out the EU 's goods completely , Russia is now the bloc 's second largest consumer of foodstuffs after the U.S. , taking $ 15.8 billion of foodstuffs annually . Western brands have invested heavily in Russia and relied on the country as a key growth story they can sell to investors . And while EU officials crunch the numbers to assess the impact of Europe 's food sector , you can imagine CEOs of the region 's biggest listed companies will be scrambling to find an alternative source to make up for those lost sales . But Europe 's agriculture policies could also cost its members dear if the Russia ban stays in force for its full one-year duration or even beyond that time frame . Why ? Because if the sanctions cause a glut of food , the EU may be forced to buy up extra stocks to keep its farmers in business . Yet in hitting the EU 's agriculture sector , Russia is serving up just one dish on a menu that could include other damaging measures across an array of industries . They would be measures designed to hit different EU countries in different ways -- pitting their individual economic interests against their supposed common goals . Though Russia has n't used its ultimate weapon , energy , in the fight yet . Curtailing Russia 's gas flow to Europe would jeopardize Germany 's manufacturing powerhouse and sanctions on cars and parts would hurt its sizeable automotive sector , which is already heavily geared towards Moscow for exports . But it 's not just Russia 's retaliatory sanctions that have the propensity to cause discord among EU members . Western sanctions on Russia 's finance sector threaten London 's City which has already put up a robust defense against interference from Brussels . Further talk of canceling France 's multi-billion dollar warship contracts for Russia has left President Hollande indignant . Tit-for-tat actions , such as the ones we have witnessed between Russia and the West , often have a way of balancing themselves out . Russia is already making a show of seeking new food suppliers like Brazil to make up the shortfall . But setting up new trade relations will require time and effort before those items make it to supermarket shelves . In the meantime , though it 'll be hard cheese for EU 's agriculture sector and Russia 's consumers too . READ MORE : Explore CNN 's infographic on the foods that are banned from Russia . READ MORE : Europe 's growth stalls after Putin factor hits .
Russia has banned food and agriculture imports from a host of Western countries in a tip - for - tip manner . Western nations have invested heavily in Russia and relied on the country as a key growth story . But Russia has now served up the dish on a menu that could include other damaging measure .