Food security in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe: State and strategic directions of provision

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that in modern conditions, the food security of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is under threat due to the influence of negative factors associated with both global destructive events and the vulnerabilities of food systems at the EU level. The purpose of the article is to study the state and problems of food security in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and to identify strategic directions for ensuring food security in the studied countries. Research methods became general scientific and special methods of cognition: comparative analysis, statistical, induction and deduction, abstract-logical, generalization, and abstraction. The peculiarities of the formation of food security in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are shown. The level of prices for food products was studied, and it was proved that the cost of food in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is lower compared to other EU member states. It is claimed that the economic availability of food is a problem for the population of the analysed group of countries due to the low level of income and the growing share of food expenses in the structure of household expenses. The main measures adopted at the level of the European Commission, aimed at ensuring food security by transitioning to a sustainable food system based on reducing the energy dependence of the agricultural sector and increasing its innovativeness and environmental friendliness, are considered. The practical significance of the study is that the formulated recommendations will help reduce food insecurity in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe by ensuring the stable functioning of agri-foodmarkets, implementing strategic directions for supporting the agricultural sector and reducing import dependence on production resources, supporting Ukraine as a key global food exporter, forming a sustainable food system in EU countries