Russia caught up with Belarus in terms of food security

In 2020, Russia almost doubled its position in the Global Food Security Index from The Ecomist Intellegence Unit, but still lags behind Belarus. Although the gap is already minimal

At the end of 2020, Russia ranked 24th among 113 countries in terms of food security. This follows from the Global Food Security Index, which has been prepared for the ninth time by analysts from The Economist Intelligence Unit with the support of Corteva Agriscience.

A year earlier, Russia occupied only 42nd place: then it scored 69.7 points out of 100 possible, in this it is already 73.7 points (at the same time, one new criterion has now been added when calculating the index). According to the authors of the rating, the countries that scored more than 60 points have a good level of security, more than 80 points - very good. But there are only two such countries - Finland, which occupies the first line (85.3 points) and Ireland, located in second place (83.8 points).

At the end of 2020, Russia came close to Belarus in terms of food security: in the latest rating, it is in 23rd place with 73.8 points, a year earlier it was 36th with 70.9 points.

According to the Global Food Security

Index The Global Index, according to its authors, is a "dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmark" built on the basis of 59 different indicators.

The overall score is calculated as a weighted average of four criteria:

food availability; their presence; quality and safety; diversity of natural resources and their sustainability.

The scores for the four criteria are calculated as a weighted average of the core indicators and are measured from zero to the maximum possible score of 100.

Based on data from national and international statistical sources, including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Trade organization, World Resources Institute , USDA .

In what Russia is inferior to Belarus

In terms of the availability of food products, Russia is in the global ranking in 34th place, in terms of their quality and safety - in 30th place. Similar indicators, for example, Belarus - 28th and 26th lines. In quantitative terms, the gap in these criteria between the two countries is small. The presence of products in Russia is estimated at 64.7 points out of 100 possible, in Belarus - 65.8 points. For the quality and safety of products, Russia received 84.1 points, Belarus - 85.5 points.

In Russia, as follows from the ranking, research and development is "modestly" developed, agricultural infrastructure is poorly developed, and political and social barriers are present - all this is taken into account when the criterion "availability of products" is assessed. The quality and safety of food is influenced, in particular, by the diversity of the diet. In Russia, it is rated at 58.2 points out of 100 possible, in Belarus - at 62.7 points.

When calculating such a criterion as "the diversity of natural resources and their sustainability", Russia received 55 points out of 100 possible, Belarus - 56.3 points. These are, respectively, 27th and 20th places according to this criterion.

The only criterion by which Russia is ahead of Belarus is "the availability of food for the population." Here Russia is on the 20th line (87.2 points out of 100 possible), Belarus is on the 28th (85 points). Here, analysts take into account, for example, the dynamics of average food spending. In 2020, it was in Russia, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, at a “very good level”, although the quantitative indicator worsened by 5 points compared to the previous year. The income level of the population was also assessed as “good” (but a year earlier the quantitative assessment was higher). Indicators evaluating the proportion of the population living below the poverty line and tariffs on agricultural imports showed positive dynamics.

What officials and experts say

The Ministry of Agriculture reported to RBC that they positively assess the increase in Russia's position in the Global Food Security Index, but emphasized that the methodology used in its calculation is not indicative for our country. In Russia, to assess the level of self-sufficiency, the criteria outlined in the Doctrine of Food Security are used, recalls a representative of the ministry.

What is the Food Security Doctrine

In 2010, then President Dmitry Medvedev approved the first Food Security Doctrine. The document established norms for the main types of agricultural products and foodstuffs with which Russia must provide itself with its own production.

In July 2020, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin reported to the State Duma that the food security doctrine was “fulfilled”: Russia is provided with grain by 155%, sugar by 125%, meat by 97%. At the same time, for a number of products, such as milk and potatoes, the country has not reached the level of self-sufficiency. President Vladimir Putin

approved the updated doctrine of food security until 2030 in January 2020: the self-sufficiency threshold for sugar and vegetable oil was raised from 80 to 90%, for fish products - from 80 to 85%. Self-sufficiency rates for grain (95%), meat (85%), milk and dairy products (90%), and potatoes (95%) have not changed. New product groups appeared - vegetables and melons, as well as fruits and vegetables, with which Russia should be provided by 90 and 60%, respectively.

In Belarus, food security is at a higher level than in Russia, agrees Dmitry Rylko, director general of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies. He recalls that Belarus is a "compactly located socialist country" with good and uniform climatic conditions, a developed agro-industrial complex and well-organized logistics - in contrast to Russia "with its difficult logistics, colossal distances and differences in natural and climatic conditions."

The fact that Russia in 2020 managed to come so close in terms of food security to Belarus, Rylko considers "a great success." Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the situation in countries importing food worsened, and Russia, which in recent years has limited imports and developed its own production, has strengthened its position, the expert explains.

Stocks in retail trade in Russia are formed for 42 days

For Russia, taking into account its potential in the field of agricultural production, a place even in the top ten in terms of food security would be insufficient, Igor Lebedev, head of the competence center in the agro-industrial complex of KPMG in Russia and the CIS, is categorical. But the indicators of The Economist Intelligence Unit index reliably reflect the lag of some sectors in the implementation of technological innovations and methods of product quality control in Russia, the expert points out. Russia’s lag behind Belarus in the constant “race” in food production, according to Lebedev, is not so significant: the common Soviet foundation and minimal differences in further development put our countries on the same level, but in Belarus there is more control over producers due to a more modest scale Food Industry.