In this paper, the dynamics of the food independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been analyzed, and its quantitative assessment has been made. The results of the study show that over the years of its independence, Kazakhstan has made some progress in strengthening the country's food security. At present, the malnutrition among the population of Kazakhstan is considerably lower than that of other countries in the Central Asian region and is at the same level as in economically developed countries. At the same time, the study results show that there are problems in the country: the actual consumption of the most important food remains extremely low in relation to the determined standards. In general, 2013 -2017 display positive dynamics of the food independence, and the indicators of crop yields sustainably grow. In many ways, this has become possible due to the introduction of innovative technologies in the agricultural production of the Republic of Kazakhstan. However, despite the growth of the innovative activity of agricultural enterprises, the level of development and implementation of agricultural technologies in Kazakhstan remains extremely low. Having studied the experts' opinions, the authors single out priority measures for the development of the agricultural innovation system aimed at strengthening the country's food independence: promoting the research program targeting small farmers, creating favorable infrastructure for food systems, contributing to the farmers' and scientists' knowledge flows: expanding the agricultural production and strengthening the human potential, encouraging the development of scientific, technological and innovative applications on key food safety issues.