Evaluation of food security as a direction of socio-economic diagnostics of the region
The article analyzes food security in the system of economic security of the state and regions of Russia. The differentiation of the regions of Russia, according to their industry specialization, determines the priorities of the agrarian policy to ensure food security and improve the living standards of the population. An analysis of the views on food security of Russian and foreign scientists, as well as the recommendations contained in the Russia's Food Security Doctrine, allowed to substantiate the possibility of assessing food security at the regional level of the economy. Materials and methods. The goal of the authors was to assess food security in the framework of an integrated approach to socio-economic diagnosis of the state of the region. The author's methodology for assessing regional food security is used. Results. The food security of the Volgograd region was assessed, the integral index of the food security index of the region (I<sub>fs</sub>) was calculated. It was found that the food security of the region was at an acceptable level, the deviation of the food security index of the region from the optimal value was due to a significant degree of differentiation of the population's income in the region and a high proportion of food expenditures in the structure of consumer spending. Conclusion. The results of the analysis made it possible to propose a number of measures, the implementation of which will increase the level of economic and food security in the region. The theoretical and methodological significance of the study is to complement the methodological tools and models for analyzing food security.