FOOD SECURITY OF THE STATE: CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS FOR STRENGTHENING

A country's food security is one of the most important elements of the national security system. The main task of economic entities involved in the country's agro-industrial complex is the production and sale of high-quality food products in quantities necessary to maintain a decent standard of living for the population. It is concluded that the agro-industrial complex (AIC) is the main factor determining the country's food security level. The research focuses on identifying the direction of development of the agro-industrial complex as a factor in ensuring food security. The study proposes measures that will increase the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex and, thereby, strengthen the country's food security. The article examines one of the most important components of the state's social function: food policy. The current food security situation is currently under review. The main threats and risks associated with ensuring food security were examined. Food security can be achieved if the effects of negative factors that create threats and risks that limit the physical and economic availability of food products are eliminated. In most developed countries, food security is considered an important part of national security. Its achievement (or existence) characterizes not only the economic, but also the political independence of the existing socio-economic system, the ability to safeguard the interests of citizens without jeopardizing national security. At the international level, the problem of ensuring food security is an important and stabilizing factor in ensuring the stability of the world order system. Under its influence, certain political decisions are developed and adopted, and it is often associated with the economies, systems and levels of development of countries with significantly higher levels of food security. Food security is a complex, multi-component phenomenon with multiple characteristics and therefore quite difficult to identify. The generic features of food security are the state of protection of the vital interests of an individual, society, and the state from internal and external threats and the ability to withstand them without losing their own qualitative characteristics. As for food security itself, numerous domestic sources contain quite contradictory interpretations of this category, focusing on one or another of its attributive features, which in turn acts as the main criterion for food security. It should be noted that food security of a region is formed and functions on the basis of the same objective laws as food security of a country and the world as a whole. However, taking into account regional characteristics is an integral necessity because: firstly, one can talk about food security of a state only when food supply of all regions without exception is achieved; secondly, the significant territory of the country and the diversity of natural and climatic conditions of the regions, which requires taking into account the potential of the regions and their specialization; thirdly, significant differentiation of regions, which characterizes a territory that, in terms of the totality of its elements, differs from other territories and is characterized by unity, interconnectedness of components and integrity. Food security of the region is such a state of the regional economy in which the volume of economically efficient production of high-quality food in the region, due to its rational distribution, ensures physical and economic availability of consumption for the population of the region and guarantees the quality and safety of food. Keywords: food security, food independence, physical and economic accessibility of food, indicators and risks of food security, technological sovereignty.