FOOD INDEPENDENCE OF UKRAINE BY INDIVIDUAL COMMODITY GROUPS OF CONSUMPTION IN THE CURRENT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Ukraine's food security is one of the most important issues for both scientists and top government officials. The state of the country's food security is a direct reflection of the current situation and the living conditions of society. In addition, today, during a full-scale war, the food security of the state is under threat, as the actions of the Russian Federation are aimed specifically at Ukrainian food industry and agricultural enterprises. In view of this, the study analyses an important indicator of Ukraine's food security - food independence by certain categories of goods, which demonstrates the extent to which the domestic food market depends on food imports, which could potentially increase in the event of a full-scale war. The purpose of the study is to conduct a detailed analysis of Ukraine's food security in terms of food independence by individual food categories. First, a general overview of the methodology for calculating Food Security Indicator 5, which represents food independence, is provided. In addition, the article analyses the value of Ukraine's food independence indicator for certain categories of food products in previous years according to studies by Ukrainian scholars. The reasons for Ukraine's food dependence on certain categories of food products are identified. An important part of the work is to determine the state of Ukraine's food independence in the event of a full-scale invasion based on the available data on imports of certain food groups and the capacity of the relevant markets. The results are presented in the form of a table and a diagram. Unfortunately, data are not available for all food groups. An analysis of the data that is currently available shows that Ukraine's food independence and, consequently, food security are in a precarious state. The reason for this situation is Russian aggression, which has caused destruction of food industry and agricultural facilities. In previous years, Ukraine had a high level of food dependence for such commodity groups as fish and fish products, fruits, berries and grapes, and vegetable oils of all kinds. The value of the food independence indicator for other food groups was within the normal range and in some cases well below the threshold. Therefore, in the future, there is a need to ensure better food security in Ukraine, which is a prerequisite for the proper development of the state.