THE REGULATORY AND LEGAL COMPONENT OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR FOOD SECURITY IN UKRAINE

Abstract

This article focuses on the development of an effective system of food security institutions, which requires a systematic approach that integrates economic, legal, and organizational components. Research in the fields of economics and law is reviewed. A structural-functional framework for the institutional framework of food security in states is proposed. State regulation, market mechanisms, institutions of international cooperation, and scientific and innovative support have been integrated. The proposals are aimed at achieving strategic goals, in particular ensuring the physical and economic accessibility of food, the stability of agricultural production, increasing the competitiveness of the national agricultural sector, and creating the conditions for its sustainable development. The role of government agencies in shaping the food security system has been identified. The legal framework for food security in Ukraine is examined as a multi-level system comprising a significant number of laws and regulations that govern specific aspects of the food sector’s operations. It has been demonstrated that such complexity is not accompanied by an adequate level of systematicity and coordination. This reduces the effectiveness of legal measures in ensuring the stability of the food system, especially in the context of crisis challenges and transformational processes. International experience in the legal framework for food security is examined. The world’s best systems provide for the integration of agricultural, environmental, social, and trade policies. They are based on the principles of prevention and risk management. Globally, there is a clear division of powers among the relevant institutions. It has been established that Ukraine lacks a legally enshrined system of product traceability throughout the entire food chain, which complicates control over the quality and safety of food products and reduces the level of trust in the national market. An insufficient level of integration of the social component into the food security system has been identified. The concept of “farm-to-table,” a risk-based approach, and ensuring full product traceability are substantiated.