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TATEVIK VARDANYAN
Lecturer at the Chair of International Economic Relations at Armenian State University of Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6488-2717
SUREN MINASYAN
PhD student in the specialty of International Economics at
Russian-Armenian University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0836-6571
FOOD SECURITY ISSUES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
The issue of providing the population with food is the oldest of the global problems of mankind. Given the fact that by 2050 the world's population will reach 9 billion people and the demand for food will increase by 60%, the world community and individual countries need to pay close attention to the problem of food security. Recent developments over the world, including Russian-Ukrainian conflict and economic sanctions against the Russian Federation, which could lead to a reduction in production capacity due to food security, restrictions on food exports, and disruption of logistic chains, pose significant risks for countries dependent on foreign food markets. Considering the fact that both Russia and Ukraine are the main markets for food imports to Armenia, the study of Armenia's food security system is gaining new importance, raising the need to consider alternative markets.
Keywords: food security, Armenia, Russian-Ukrainian conflict, logistic chains disruption, threats, problems, risks of food security JEL: F52, Q18
DOI: 10.52174/1829-0280_2022.6-60
Introduction. Why is food security such a major global issue? First, the obvious reason is that everyone needs food to survive. However, the difficulty of delivering food of sufficient quantity and quality to every inhabitant of the Earth explains why food security is a priority for all countries. In other words, food security means not only providing people with the necessary food, but also the proper interaction and functioning of all aspects of the economy and society.
The world is in the midst of rising food prices that are hitting the poor in the hardest way. Even before COVID-19, chronic and acute hunger were on the rise due to several factors, including conflicts, socio-economic conditions and climate change. Disruption caused by the war in Ukraine has added to price pressures, with costs likely to remain high for the foreseeable future, pushing millions of people into acute food insecurity with costly implications for human capital. In this context, the authors studied the main situation of ensuring food security in Armenia, raised the existing problems and defined the possibilities of their solution. This article has been published in the framework of The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research scholar grants for research within the field of Armenian Studies.
Literature Review. For centuries, food security has been interpreted as the ability to meet the needs of all inhabitants of a particular country with food products produced either entirely or partially in that country. The meaning of food security has changed with the development of trade and the emergence of international delicacies. The rapid growth of world food production and free international trade have allowed countries to buy the necessary food products on favorable terms in other markets. Analyzing the theoretical aspects of the term "food security", it can be noted that it was first introduced into circulation in 1974 at the World Food Conference in Rome. The term "food security" was first introduced in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security.
According to it, food security is a situation in which all people, at any given time, have physical and economic access to sufficient and safe food with good quality, necessary for an active healthy lifestyle1. In accordance with the Reform Document of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the foundations of food security are:
Availability (of food);
Access;
Usage;
Stability2.
In modern economic literature, various aspects of the global food problem are widely studied, but the terms "global food problem" and "global food security" are often confused, used in the same meaning.
The global food problem is twofold. On the one hand, it concerns the provision of food to the population, which gives it a socio-economic character,
1 Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the Plan of Actions in Reference to the World Meeting on the Highest Level Concerned with Food Problems, https://www.fao.org/3/w3613e/w3613e00.htm
2 UNO Food and Agriculture Organization [Electronic resource]. Regime of availability: //http://www.fao.org/about/ru/
i.e., the well-being of people at the local level of life and their social activity in society depend on its solution.
On the other hand, the limited nature of the world's natural resources for food production, high rates of world population growth and urbanization, as well as political crises and wars, give the food problem a global character. The role of the production sector in agriculture is substantiated by many researchers in providing the world's population with food while maintaining the ecology of the planet, safe for human life3. The most severe consequence of the global food problem is hunger, which, according to M.A. Lysak, has always had "... an extraordinary impact on people's lives at different times with unequal damaging destructive power4. Traditionally, famine has been described mainly as a sudden upheaval in people's lives, almost always associated with natural disasters or environmental upheavals. In countries where people suffer from hunger, malnutrition is usually endemic, although isolated deaths from food shortages are not uncommon5. The study of the food problem lies on the border of several economic theories:
the theory of marginal utility, according to which the value of goods is determined by their utility, formed on the basis of subjective assessments of the consumer, since the level of food production depends on finite resources (land and water) and the cost of food increases due to limited access to these resources,
theories of international trade, since there is still debate about whether the problem lies at the root: the lack of food in the world or its improper distribution, as a result of which some countries starve, and the other part sends surplus food to the trash cans every day, theories of sustainable development - a model of the development of human civilization, based on the need to maintain a balance between the solution of social and economic issues and the preservation of the natural environment6.
Almost half a century ago, Richard A. Easterlin, known for hypothesizing that fertility fluctuations are cyclical in nature with a period of about 50 years, noted the dependence of the food supply of the world on demographic processes and applied technologies7. Currently, research is increasingly looking at the technological component8. In the wake of the introduction of breakthrough technologies of the 21st century, it becomes relevant to analyze the impact of
3 International Agricultural Journal. 2021;64(6). DOI: 10.24412/2588-0209-2021-10415 Ovchinnikov O.G. Global food problem: current state and prospects. International Agricultural Journal. 2021, 64(6). (In Russ.). DOI: 10.24412/2588-0209-2021-10415
4 Lysak M.A., Food problem and ways to solve it in the world. Fundamental Researches. 2013, (10-7):1545-1549. (Rus).
5 0 Grada C. Famine. A short history. Princeton: Princeton University Press; 2009, p. 6-7, 344 p.
6 Savel'eva A.V., The Role of the Global Food Problem in the Modern World Economy. Ekonomicheskii zhurnal Vysshei shkoly ekonomiki = HSE Economic Journal. 2013, 17(3):563-580. (Rus).
7 Easterlin R.A., An economic framework for fertility analysis. Studies in Family Planning. 1975, 6(3):54-63.
8 Cole M.B., Augustin M.A., Robertson M.J., Manners J.M., The science of food security. Science of Food. 2018, (2):14. DOI: 10.1038/s41538-018-0021-9
digitalization of the agricultural sector on the state of the world food problem9, especially in the context of the transformation of food systems10.
Research Methodology. The theoretical, informational and methodological basis for the article are the works of Armenian and foreign economists, classical and modern economic theories about food security, reports and strategic programs of Armenian state bodies, as well as reports of state and private organizations. Sources of information collection were the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, publications of international organizations such as the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization etc.
In this paper the authors used two research methodologies: quantitative and qualitative. Also, for comprehensive understanding of the issue the authors used the methods of statistical, mathematical (graphic), comparative, structural and econometric analysis in the framework of this research. With quantitative methods the authors did statistical analysis to answer their research questions. As well as, the main situational analysis was carried out using quantitative methods. With qualitative methods the authors made observations and content analysis. There are two methods used by economic theory: the hypothetical-deductive method used principally by neoclassical economists, and the historical-deductive method adopted by classical and Keynesian economists. Both are legitimate, but, since economics is a substantive, not a methodological science, whose object is the economic system, the latter is more adequate. The hypothetical-deductive permits that the economist, starting from some basic assumptions - principally the maximizing agent, deduces a consistent and mathematical theory, but at the cost of realism and relevance. So, in this article, the authors also used the main idea of the hypothetical-deductive method.
Findings, analysis. The world is in a very different place to where it was six years ago when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The world has not been generally progressing either towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people all year round (SDG Target 2.1), or to eradicating all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2)11. Conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns are the major drivers slowing down the progress, particularly where inequality is high. The COVID-19 pandemic made the pathway towards SDG2 even steeper.
Besides, according to The Word Bank after an 18% increase in 2022, the World Bank's food price index is forecast to decline by 6% in 2023 and stabilize in 202412.
Food security has its place in the overall system of national security. The role of food security is related to the fact that food is a basic indicator of human life, in the absence of which hunger and death occur. The level of nutrition of the
9 Fountas S., Garcia B. E., Kasimati A., Mylonas N., The future of digital agriculture: technologies and opportunities. IT Professional. 2020, (11 ):24-28.
10 Revenko L. S., Soldatenkova O. I., Revenko N. S., A new paradigm of food systems. Horizons of Economics. 2021, 64(5):99-106. (Rus).
11 https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=2&Target=2.2
12 https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update
population characterizes the level of its economic development as a whole, food production was, is and will be the very first condition for direct producers and any production in general, and the level of food supply for the population is considered as the most important factor and determining criterion for the level of social life, the viability of the economic structure and state structure of the country. The food problem arose simultaneously with the appearance of man and, as it developed, changed its features and scales, turning into a world problem in the second half of the 20th century. With sufficient food production, it is, as it was, a self-evident fact of social existence; with a lack of food becomes a serious socio-political problem. Food insufficiency occurs due to natural disasters caused by natural phenomena, wars, economic crises in the state, radical changes in the social system and property relations, the rapid growth of the Earth's population and the disproportionate distribution of population and food production across the territory. In this regard, both for an individual, and for an individual state and the world as a whole, the problem of stable food supply and food security arises.
The main reasons that exacerbate the problem of food security in the world in modern conditions are:
an increase in the population of the Earth; climate change;
lack of water for land irrigation;
shortage of workers in the agro-industrial sector, especially in developed countries.
The importance of the problem of food security in the system of national security lies in the fact that it is closely related to environmental security. Agricultural activity has a decisive impact on the deterioration of the environmental situation in the world, which, on the one hand, hinders the growth of agricultural production as a raw material for food, on the other hand, leads to the production of products contaminated with various toxic substances.
On a global scale, food security is related to the disproportion between the growing population of the planet and the possibility of the biosphere. On a national scale, the need to maintain food security is associated with maintaining the independence of the state, in this case food. Within the boundaries of one country, for example, the Republic of Armenia, the location of production should be based on the territorial division of labor, and its food supply is associated with the development of interregional food and raw material ties.
As for the population, every citizen of Armenia should have the opportunity to receive sufficient and high-quality food in the country. The creation of such conditions is the responsibility of the state responsible for the health of the nation and the preservation of its gene pool. Based on this, the food security of the country can be characterized as the responsibility (duty) of the state, under normal and emergency conditions, to ensure economic and physical accessibility for each household of the country to high-quality (safe) food, mainly domestic production, at the level of scientifically based or temporary (for emergencies) nutritional standards of the population
In international relations, the world's superpowers, dictated by their interests, also use economic and geographical advantages as weapons. Currently, greater emphasis is placed on economic and political sanctions. As globalization has "covered" the world with a "web" of political and economic integration ties between countries, interstate conflicts affect not only the direct parties but also other countries affiliated with them. For example, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict affects trade and economic relations between Russia's partner countries, including EAEU member countries. In this case, a more difficult situation is created for countries that are closely interconnected with a certain center having relatively few alternatives. Moreover, countries that do not have a wide variety of food and fuel imports and an accessible logistics system are especially vulnerable in such a situation.
The emergence and escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which was a logical consequence of the West's policy against Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, have had an impact both on the world economy and individual countries, threatening to completely transform the current world order. Although the conflict is still ongoing and its possible solutions are uncertain, the whole world and especially the countries that have close economic ties with Russia and/or Ukraine, bear the socio-economic consequences of the military conflict, including sanctions imposed on Russia by other countries and international organizations.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts further deterioration of the global food security situation, despite some stabilization of food prices. The Fund warned of the threat of a food crisis at least comparable in scale to the 20072008 crisis, when "many countries faced acute food shortages that led to significant disasters and many deaths." Although global food prices have recently declined, the food security situation is likely to worsen13. According to an IMF paper, $5 billion to $7 billion in further spending is needed to assist vulnerable households in 48 countries most affected by the higher food and fertilizer import prices. An additional $50 billion is required to end acute food insecurity.
Following the start of the war in Ukraine, trade-related policies imposed by countries have surged. The global food crisis has been partially made worse by the growing number of food trade restrictions put in place by countries with a goal of increasing domestic supply and reducing prices. As of November 7, 20 countries have implemented 24 food export bans, and eight have implemented 12 export-limiting measures. High food prices have triggered a global crisis that is driving millions more into extreme poverty, magnifying hunger and malnutrition. According to a World Bank report, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a major setback in global poverty reduction. Now, rising food and energy prices fueled by climate shocks and conflict have halted the recovery14. The number of people
13 Tackling the Global Food Crisis: Impact, Policy Response, and the Role of the IMF NOTE/2022/004 Björn Rother, Sebastian Sosa, Daehaeng Kim, Lukas Kohler, Gaelle Pierre, Naoya Kato, Majdi Debbich, Chiara Castrovillari, Khamza Sharifzoda, and Elizabeth Van Heuvelen (all SPR), Fabiana Machado and Celine Thevenot (FAD), and Pritha Mitra and Dominique Fayad (AFR), 2022, International Monetary Fund, p. 6.
14 World Bank. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022: Correcting Course. Washington, DC: World Bank, p. 55.
who are experiencing acute food insecurity and will need urgent assistance is likely to climb to 222 million people in 53 countries and territories, according to a FAO-WFP report15.
Armenia, having important trade and economic ties with both Russia and Ukraine, has not been left out of the situation. Just to mention that, according to the RA Statistical Committee, in 2021 imports from Russia and Ukraine to Armenia amounted to about $1.994 billion (37.2% of total imports) and $147.6 million (2.8% of total imports) respectively. Meanwhile, in 2021 exports from Armenia to Russia and Ukraine amounted to $847.3 million (28.0% of total exports) and $25.7 million (0.8% of total exports) respectively16. As part of a comprehensive, global response to the ongoing food security crisis, the World Bank Group is making up to $30 billion available over a period of 15 months in areas such as agriculture, nutrition, social protection, water and irrigation.
Table 1
First necessity food products for Armenia18
First necessity food products Self-sufficiency ratio, percent
2017 I 2018 2019 2020
Wheat 33.2 1 m £ 31.5 1 no £ 25.9 1 ni 1 24.4 1 ni 1
Potato Vegetables I 02.6 102.5 1 HQ 7 1 02.6 104.7 1 Hfl Q 101.1 104.0 1 fin 101.1 103.9 QO O
Fruits and berries Grapes 109./ 106.4 /1Q 7 108.9 104.8 qo c 1 00.5 103.6 qo o 98.2 106.7 Q7 Q
Leguminous crops Vegetable oil 49./ 4.3 38.6 2.2 38.2 1.5 7Q fl 3/.3 0.9 qo n
Sugar Eggs fv/lilL' 65.2 98.2 Q1 0 68.6 99.5 A /3.0 100.0 RA Q 38.0 100.3 Rl fl
Milk Beef 91.2 91.5 86.8 89.2 84.3 90.4 82.0 87.3 AC. 1
Pork Mutton and goat meat 58.0 138.9 53.3 128.6 55.5 113.8 45.1 100.4
Poultry 22.5 26.6 21.7 23.9
Fish 101.8 109.0 113.1 143.7
It is important to emphasize that along with strategic cooperation in the security sphere, Russia's role in the context of Armenia's food security is also significant. Thus, 270,000 tons of wheat (about $62 million) were imported from Russia to Armenia in 2021, which amounts to 99.4% of the total wheat import. Russia also has a huge share in the import of flour (99.1%), corn (86.1%), oil (90.6%), margarine (80.4%) and pasta (75.1%). As for Ukraine, the latter is an
15 Hunger Hotspots FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook, p. 1.
16 RA Statistical Committee, "Armenia in figures, 2022", p. 103, https://armstat.am/file/article/armenia_2022_14.pdf, "Food security and poverty, January-December
2019", https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2238
18 RA Statistical Committee, "Armenia in figures, 2022", p. 103, https://armstat.am/file/article/armenia_2022_14.pdf, "Food security and poverty, January-December 2019", https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2238
important partner of Armenia in the supply of poultry meat and meat products (39.2%), sugar confectionery without cocoa (22.2%), condensed or sweetened milk and cream, milk powder (22.2%)17. In the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian war and tough Western sanctions against the Kremlin, the Russian government's decision to temporarily ban grain exports to EAEU countries, including Armenia, raised concerns about food security as the majority of wheat in Armenia is imported from Russia.
The most problematic is the low level of Armenia's self-sufficiency in the direction of wheat. It is not a secret that a significant part of Armenia's demand for wheat (up to 30% according to some estimates) was met at the expense of wheat sowing areas in Artsakh. However, most of Artsakh's arable lands were occupied by Azerbaijan as a result of the last Artsakh war. In particular, according to the preliminary calculations of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Artsakh Republic, the enemy was given about 95,000 hectares of arable land with more than 70,000 hectares being sown annually, of which grain was sown in about 50,000 hectares19. The remaining three quarters were imported from the Russian Federation making Armenia significantly dependent on wheat import. The most obvious impact of recent developments on Armenia's food security was Russia's restriction of wheat exports to EAEU countries in March of 2022, which was to be in effect until the end of August.
1800 1600 1400
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
■ Wheat ■ Potatoes Vegetables and melons ■ Tomato ■ Fruit and berry (except grapes)
Graph 1. National food balance of the Republic of Armenia, thousand tons, 2016-2021 20
As for the domestic production of wheat in Armenia, the situation is not favorable in terms of food security. For instance, in 2021, about 367,000 tons of wheat were consumed in Armenia, only a quarter of which, 97,000 tons, was
17 RA Statistical Committee, "Armenia in figures, 2022", p. 103,
https://armstat.am/file/article/armenia_2022_14.pdf, "Food security and poverty, January-December 2019", https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2238
19 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
20 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
grown locally, compared to 187,500 tons in 201821. Besides, if in the 2000s the wheat sown areas in Armenia reached up to 129,000 hectares, today the sown areas amount only to about 57-58 thousand hectares. Moreover, the yield has decreased sharply in its turn: nowadays, about 2 tons of wheat is obtained per hectare on average, while the ideal yield per hectare is about 8 tons22.
Graph 2. National food balance of the Republic of Armenia, thousand tons, 202123
Compared to 2016, wheat production decreased by 72% in 2021, amounting to 97.2 thousand tons. At the same time, as the analysis of the data in Graph 1 shows, the total amount of wheat in 2021 was reduced by 37% compared to 2016, making 791.3 thousand tons. This is definitely due to the reduction of wheat fields as a result of the 44-Day War. The volume of potatoes in Armenia during the considered period of 2016-2021 has again recorded a downward trend by an average of 10.1% per year. Moreover, compared to 2016, the volume of potatoes decreased by 41.9% in 2021, making 622.6 thousand tons.
It is also interesting to study the per capita expenditure of households on food. The analysis of graph 3 shows that during the period 2017-2020, the expenditure on food increased by 3.4% annually. Moreover, compared to 2017, the expenses increased by 10.4%, amounting to 20,715 AMD.
21 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
22 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
23 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
2020
20715
2019 19377
2018 18817
2017 18767
Graph 3. Per capita expenditures of the household on food (including alcoholic beverages), drams24
Food Security and Vulnerability Assessments (FSVA) track the food security situation in Armenia during the years. To have more comprehensive understanding of impact of the 44-Day War in the food security situation of Armenia a comparative analysis of 2019 and 2022 reports has been conducted in the article. In 2019 15% of Armenians couldn't physically or economically access the food they needed for an active and healthy lifestyle and were food insecure. 6% of Armenians couldn't acquire the food they needed to meet their daily needs and were undernourished25. The agricultural sector over the last 10 years has increased the availability of food in Armenia. However, this still lacks diversification and low-quality standards.
In Armenia in 2019 food insecurity was closely linked to poverty (approx. 1 in 4 people lived below the poverty line), with regional disparities and a widening gap between the rich and the poor worsening this effect. Strong geographic and socio-economic disparities were observed in the prevalence of extreme poverty, undernourishment, Armenians were malnourished as they didn't eat diversified food nor consumed nutritious products. Children were the most affected, 9% of them were stunted and 14% of those under 5 years old were overweight. This led to increased levels of child mortality and morbidity, as well as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
The results of the FSVA 4 showed that in 2022 23.2 percent of households were food insecure in Armenia. Only 1 out of 5 households (20 percent) in Armenia were categorized as food secure. The main drivers for this were increased adoption of coping strategies, as well as the disruption of income. Another factor that could have influenced food security levels is the food price inflation, negatively affecting people's purchasing power. The food insecurity
24 RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January - December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
25 Comprehensive Food Security, Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA), Update 2019, https://reliefweb.int/report/armenia/comprehensive-food-security-vulnerability-analysis-cfsva-update-2019
levels were significantly higher in other urban areas (24.6%) compared to Yerevan (22.4%) and rural areas (22.9%). In regions the highest rate of food insecurity was seen in Shirak (35%), Lori (31%), Tavush (25%) and Vayots Dzor (24%). The lowest rates were revealed in Armavir (17%) and Kotayk (18%)26. So, it can be implied that after the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the 44-Day War the food security situation in Armenia has gotten worse. This once again emphasizes the urgency of solving the problem and the need to take appropriate measures.
From a socioeconomic point of view, food safety is an integral part of food security. Accordingly, food safety for the consumer is the most important characteristic of the quality of food products, which is strictly regulated by legislation in this area. These laws and institutions provide the consumer with the assurance that the food purchased complies with safety and medical requirements. An important point should be noted here. In modern conditions in the production of food products there are problems with various diseases of crops and animals. This brought the attention of consumers to all aspects of food quality and safety. On this basis, increasing consumer awareness of food safety and health threats means that meeting the ever-increasing expectations in this area should become one of the most important tasks for the agricultural production and food industry.
It is assumed here that the supervision and control of food production in agriculture should be strengthened using modern methods and practices. For example, in Western Europe, the European Food Safety Authority provides independent scientific advice on food-related risks27.The individual Member States of the European Union have different systems of food quality and safety supervision, and they maintain constant control over the production of food products using serious methods without affecting their functioning by any external factors.
Conclusions. The war in Ukraine poses a serious food security challenge for Armenia. Increasing western sanctions on Russia and possible Russian sanctions in response have increased concerns about Armenia's food dependency. Much of Armenia's food imports come from Russia and Ukraine. 98.9% of Armenia's wheat, 82.2% of its macaroni/pasta, 72% of its margarine and 66.6% of its bread/pastry imports are from Russia. Armenia's Statistical Committee reports that during the past five years Armenia produced 24-33% of wheat consumed in the country. 270,000 tons of wheat (about $62 million) were imported from Russia to Armenia in 2021, which amounts to 99.4% of the total wheat import. The main difficulty in studying the food security of the Republic of Armenia is the lack of data or its not being up-to-date. The most recent available statistical data indicates that Armenia has a high level of self-sufficiency in terms of some first necessity food products, while it depends on foreign markets for some other products. Although our country is self-sufficient in terms of potatoes, fruits,
26 Fourth Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment in Armenia, September 2022, World Food Program, pp. 2-8.
27 https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/institutions-and-bodies/institutions-and-bod ies-profi les/efsa_en
vegetables, and some livestock products, the biggest problem today is the issue of grain food supply.
It will certainly be a period full of challenges for the whole world and the countries of this region. If the prices of energy carriers continue to fall, fertilizers will also become cheaper. But, of course, it is important what kind of support the Armenian government will provide to local farmers to be sure that the autumn harvest will be possible. Small and vulnerable farmers will especially need assistance here.
Taking into account the limited public administration and the need to find innovative solutions based on rapid technological developments, the solution of social problems of modern society requires active involvement of civil society. In developing countries the international agencies which have considerable expertise and developed special infrastructure for this established themselves in the struggle against food insecurity and food waste. Food banks are an example of such organizations. They first appeared in the United States and then distributed the example of their activities through all continents. Their main role is to attract donations in the form of food, to accept money to buy food, to manage food assistance programs, to reduce environmental influence, to transfer the needs of charity organizations to suppliers, to store food supplies, to conduct information campaigns, to control products. There are different patterns of food banks activity in different countries. But they all operate according to certain principles. Civil society groups or food banks developed measures concerning struggle against food insecurity and have key advantages. One of the key strengths of civil society groups is the strong self-motivation of their volunteers, which, as a rule, results in conscious and strong effort to achieve the organizations goals that are difficult to achieve for organizations with paid employees. In addition, charity organizations have the opportunity to mobilize citizens and businesses for food donations. Citizen's disbelief in the effective functioning of the state, as well as their negative attitude towards state contributions in excess of high taxes and social security contributions prevent the possibility of the public service to achieve the same mobilization degree for food donations. Moreover, civil society participants gained knowledge about food assistance needs at the local level. Therefore, the emergence and development of food banks in the world is very important for food security. This particular experience Armenia should adopt to solve food security problem in the country.
References
1. Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the Plan of Actions in Reference to the World Meeting on the Highest Level Concerned with Food Problems [Electronic resource] Regime of availability: http://observer.materik.ru/observer/N3-4_97/019.htm
2. Cole M.B., Augustin M.A., Robertson M.J., Manners J.M., The science of food security. Science of Food. 2018, (2):14.
DOI: 10.1038/s41538-018-0021-9
3. Easterlin R.A. An economic framework for fertility analysis. Studies in Family Planning, 6(3), 1975.
4. Fountas S., Garcia B. E., Kasimati A., Mylonas N. The future of digital agriculture: technologies and opportunities. IT Professional, (11), 2020.
5. Hunger Hotspots FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook.
6. International Agricultural Journal. 2021;64(6). DOI: 10.24412/25880209-2021-10415 Ovchinnikov O.G. Global food problem: current state and prospects. International Agricultural Journal. 2021, 64(6). (In Russ.). DOI: 10.24412/2588-0209-2021-10415.
7. Lysak M.A. Food problem and ways to solve it in the world. Fundamental Researches, (10-7), 2013.
8. 0 Grada C. Famine, A short history. Princeton: Princeton University Press; 2009.
9. RA Statistical Committee, "Armenia in figures, 2022", https://armstat.am/file/article/armenia_2022_14.pdf
10. RA Statistical Committee, Food Security and Poverty, January -December 2021, https://armstat.am/en/?nid=81&id=2461
11. Fourth Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment in Armenia, September 2022, World Food Program.
12. Revenko L. S., Soldatenkova O. I., Revenko N. S. A new paradigm of food systems. Horizons of Economics, 64(5), 2021.
13. Savel'eva A.V., The Role of the Global Food Problem in the Modern World Economy. Ekonomicheskii zhurnal Vysshei shkoly ekonomiki = HSE Economic Journal, 17(3), 2013.
14. Tackling the Global Food Crisis: Impact, Policy Response, and the Role of the IMF NOTE/2022/004 Björn Rother, Sebastian Sosa, Daehaeng Kim, Lukas Kohler, Gaelle Pierre, Naoya Kato, Majdi Debbich, Chiara Castrovillari, Khamza Sharifzoda, and Elizabeth Van Heuvelen (all SPR), Fabiana Machado and Celine Thevenot (FAD), and Pritha Mitra and Dominique Fayad (AFR), 2022 International Monetary Fund.
15. UNO Food and Agriculture Organization [Electronic resource]. Regime of availability: //http://www.fao.org/about/ru/
16. World Bank. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022: Correcting Course. Washington, DC: World Bank.
17. https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget /institutions-and-bodies/institutions-and-bodies-profiles/efsa_en
18. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=2&Target=2.2
19. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update
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DOI: 10.52174/1829-0280_2022.6-60
ТАТЕВИК ВАРДАНЯН
Преподаватель кафедры международных экономических отношений
Армянского государственного экономического университета
СУРЕН МИНАСЯН
Аспирант по специальности «Международная экономика»
Российско-Армянского Университета
Вопросы продовольственной безопасности Республики Армения.- Проблема обеспечения населения продуктами питания является древнейшей из глобальных проблем в истории человечества. Учитывая тот факт, что к 2050 году население Земли достигнет 9 млрд человек, а потребность в продуктах питания возрастет на 60%, мировому сообществу и отдельным странам необходимо уделить пристальное внимание проблеме продовольственной безопасности. Недавние события в мире, в том числе российско-украинский конфликт и экономические санкции против Российской Федерации, которые могут привести к сокращению производственных мощностей из-за продовольственной безопасности, ограничений на экспорт продовольствия и нарушения логистических цепочек, создают значительные риски для стран, зависимых от зарубежных продовольственных рынков. Учитывая тот факт, что и Россия, и Украина являются основными рынками импорта продовольствия в Армению, изучение системы продовольственной безопасности Армении приобретает новое значение, тем самым создавая необходимость рассмотрения альтернативных рынков.
Ключевые слова: продовольственная безопасность, Армения, российско-украинский конфликт, нарушение логистических цепочек, угрозы, проблемы, риски продовольственной безопасности Б52, 018
РО!: 10.52174/1829-0280_2022.6-60
