On Increasing the Role of Agriculture in Ensuring the Economic Security of Modern Russia

Abstract

The study was carried out in order to assess the contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product and export earnings of Russia, the sufficiency of food production, which is an important condition for ensuring the economic security of the country. The share of the agricultural industry in the country’s GDP exceeds 4%, in export earnings - 9%, in the structure of employment - 6.5% (2020). The level of production of basic types of food (bread, potatoes, meat, eggs) meets the safety requirements. The dependence of the domestic food market on imports of beef exceeds 28%, cheese - 30%, animal oil - 30%, vegetable oil - 14%. In order to cover domestic food demand in accordance with rational consumption standards, it is necessary to increase the production of beef by 1.4 times, milk by 1.5 times, cheese by 1.4 times, animal oil by 1.4 times, fish by 2.5 times, vegetables and gourds by 1.5 times, fruits and berries by 4 times. A threat to the sustainable development of agriculture, and hence the economic security of the state, may be the low standard of living in rural areas, which accelerates urbanization and weakens the labor potential of a strategically important industry. Many agricultural regions experience long-term migration outflow. Altai Territory bears the greatest losses (migration loss is 24 people per 10,000 people on average for 2010-2020), the Republic of Mordovia (14 people per 10 000 people), Tambov and Bryansk (20 people per 10 000 people), as well as the Penza (migration loss of 17 people per 10 000 people) regions. This disrupts the reproduction of labor potential and requires additional measures to stabilize the demographic situation in the regions that ensure the country's food security.