Evaluation of food security in the Tomsk Region and its municipal entities in the period of 1996-2014

Provision of food security is becoming one of the urgent and most discussed issues of 2014-2015 under the conditions of economic and political instability in Russia. In general terms, the concept of food security comprises three main aspects: provision to the population of a real stable physical and economic access to adequate amount of food and the quality of the food. Such understanding of food security is recognized and enshrined in the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security, adopted in November 2009 in Rome. The Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation contains a similar interpretation. Physical accessibility implies actual availability of food throughout the country or region at any time, in sufficient quantity and variety. Over the past two decades, the level of own production contribution to food security of the Tomsk Region (excluding export volumes) has changed unfavorably. The largest decrease was recorded in fruits and berries by 91.2 percentage points, eggs and egg products - by 64.2 percentage points, milk and dairy products - by 53.6 percentage points Among foods and agricultural raw materials, potato is the only product of own production that fully meets Tomsk Region's demands. City districts and the northern areas of the region belong to the poorest areas among the municipalities of the Tomsk Region in terms of own production of basic agricultural raw materials and food products. The status of economic accessibility is characterized by the level of real disposable income of population, providing the opportunity to purchase food products at the established prices in the volume and variety that conform to the established norms of rational consumption. Following the stabilization in 2012-2013, at the end of 2014, there was a decrease in the purchasing power of money income of the Tomsk Region residents in almost all basic foods. The only exceptions are the bread made with thefirst andsecond grade flour, vegetable oil and potatoes. The level of disposable income of the Tomsk Region population has not enabled the people to purchase certain types of basic foods for a long period, even at the minimum level of the of rational consumption standards. The level of consumption in a number of basic food products (meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits and berries) ranges from 40% to 97.1% of the minimum level of rational consumption standards. However, consumption of bread, sugar, vegetable oil and potatoes is much higher than the recommended amounts. Within the existing circumstances, domestic producers are struggling to reduce their costs by using less expensive and not always high-quality raw materials. Among other issues, there is a growing trend of falsification. Thus, the parameters enshrined in the Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation have not been fully achieved in the Tomsk Region. In addition, during the period of 1996-2014, there have been negative trends associated with a decrease in physical and economic accessibility to food and the deterioration of its quality.

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