FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT ISSUES IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the current state of food security in some regions of the Russian Federation, to identify bottlenecks that hinder its achievement, and also to try to determine the relationship between food security indicators and the degree of land degradation - categories that largely determine the socio-ecological development of the region. Belgorod, Vladimir, Volgograd, Kaliningrad, Penza, Samara regions were selected as test regions. At the same time, the choice of the self-sufficiency indicator for the main types of food products as the most representative indicator for assessing food security at the municipal level is justifed. The adapted methodology for calculating self-sufficiency for the municipal level consisted in using the calculated indicators of the required production volumes in accordance with rational consumption standards, which allowed us to obtain an objective assessment of how much municipal formations are able to provide the population living there with the main types of products. The adapted methodology proposed by the authors for calculating indicators of self-sufficiency in basic types of food at the municipal level is described in detail in earlier publications. The results of the analysis of the data obtained on self-sufficiency in such types of products as potatoes, vegetables, meat, milk, fruits and berries in the municipal districts of the test regions in dynamics for the period 2010-2021 are presented. In addition, the relationship between the calculated indicators of self-sufficiency in the main types of food and the degree of land degradation in the municipalities of the test regions was revealed. The results obtained made it possible to identify the main problems associated with ensuring food security and develop proposals to improve the situation.