Annotation

The article considers problems of food security development. Basing on the study and extension of both domestic and foreign experiments, the research specifies essencet of the problem, its formulation, indices and mechanism of providing. The work also explores classification of groups and hierarchy of indices of food safety conditions in the country. The research examines influence of increase of the efficiency of performance of agrarian food sphere on conditions of food safety of the country and suggests the algorithm of shaping and implementation of the policy of food safety.

The article investigates the problem of food security in terms of economic security, and the need for its development. Food safety is defined and described through its components. Assessment of the situation of food security is presented in terms of the main problems at the macro – and meso levels. The work describes components and principles of food safety, and gives their characteristics. The main principles include social aspect, complexity, consistency. The authors of the research show basic dimensions of food security. The main dimensions of food security suggest availability, access, stability, and use. The study considers national characteristics of food security and its threats. The main threats to food security includes imperfect system of quality control; reduction of solvency; unbalanced consumption of food; rise of prices of agricultural products; low consumption of animal products and livestock losses; dependence on imports of some certain food products. It is found that existence of those threats forces the necessity of public administration in order to maintain a sufficient level of food security in the country. The main threats to food security include negative changes in the factors external and internal environment that reduce the level of food security. It is confirmed that shaping and implementation of agrarian policy of food security should begin with a study of the consumed food. It can serve as a basis for modeling of food regions and forecasting of physiological need for food of the population. The research substantiates that, considering the country's export opportunities concerning some groups of food products, it is possible to form balances of food resources, used for development of the strategy food security maintenance. Monitoring of current transformations is a principal priority, as well as its quantitative and qualitative assessment. It can be used to prepare appropriate recommendations and managerial decisions. The monitoring system is based on a combination of economic and social indicators with the indices that reflect performance of the authorities, responsible for food security.

The article analyzes a qualitative component of access of Ukrainian population to food products and real financial possibilities of citizens. Basing on a detailed study of the value of food sets in accordance with the methodology for determining the subsistence level in Ukraine, the work identifies a number of aspects that are not true. Considering the revealed discrepancies and differences, the authors of the article present directions to improve the access to food for the population, in particular in qualitative and financial dimensions. The research also supplies a number of proposals for strengthening of food security in Ukraine.