Strengthening the food security as a tool for the implementation of agricultural entities’ competitive development capacity in the system of Ukraine’s economic security

Svitlana Urba, Marta Kopytko

The article addresses the features of strengthening the food security as a tool for the implementation of agricultural entities’ competitive development capacity. The food security level in Ukraine is inspected following the domestic system of parameters and international methodologies. The analysis of the food security level in Ukraine by the Global Food Security Index shows that it lags much behind not only leading countries but neighboring countries as well. The situation requires the consideration of not only existing but also prospective challenges and threats to food security maintenance. In the future, it will help increase the competitiveness of agricultural entities in the global food market. The structural-functional development parameters of agriculture and its entities are outlined, and strategic priorities of governmental policy for the implementation of agricultural entities’ competitive development capacity are determined. The article offers tools for food security strengthening based on compliance with the principles of food security maintenance, including self-sufficiency, multifunctionality, social justice, independence, stability, balance, and rationality. The need to harmonize the agricultural entities’ development parameters with the economic and socio-environmental components of food security strengthening is explained. The ways to enhance physical accessibility and economic affordability of food, guarantee the quality and security of agriculture, and improve natural resources and resilience are suggested. The article proves that the implementation of the offered priorities on the grounds of implementation of agricultural entities’ competitive development capacity transforms available capacities into the segment of food security strengthening in the system of Ukraine’s economic security.

Keywords: agrarian sector; agricultural entities’; food security; food security indicators; global food security index; parameters of agrarian sector; economic availability of foodstuffs; physical availability of foodstuffs.