Differentiation of Food Consumption in the Context of Achieving Food Security in Ukraine

Abstract

The degree of influence of socio-economic inequality on meeting the vital needs of various social groups in Ukraine is analyzed. It is noted that such inequality becomes the main obstacle in terms of physical and financial access to food and, ultimately, the emergence of disparities in the formation and development of an inclusive society. The evolution of views on the interpretation of food security is determined: from food security (that is, the production of a sufficient amount of food products) to the orientation of food security as an important component of the quality of life of the population. The importance of a multi-aspect analysis of the food security system, namely its social, economic and biological components, is emphasized. Based on the biological aspect of nutrition, the level of its balance in terms of the main macro- and micronutrients and caloric content was investigated. During the studied period (2000 - 2020), the nutritional content of the Ukrainian diet exceeded the recommended norm due to the consumption of plant products; at the same time, the calorie content of products of animal origin was no more than 30% of the actual daily requirement (the norm is 55%). Based on the application of regression analysis, the existence of a noticeable direct (linear) relationship between the life expectancy of a person (both sexes) and the caloric content of the diet of animal origin was established. It is calculated that if the physiological norm of products of animal origin is used, the expected life expectancy of a Ukrainian will be 79.9 years. An analysis of the differentiation of consumer spending by Ukrainian households by quintile (20%) groups was conducted during 2010-2020. It was established that over the past 5 years, there has been an increase in the differentiation of food spending between the fifth and first quintile groups. It is noted that the main conditions for achieving food security and nutrition security according to the criterion "economic availability of food" are the growth of incomes, the leveling of income differentiation and the reduction of the scale of population poverty. The main factors of influence on the food security of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law have been determined. The results of the study can be used by state authorities in developing areas of food security support taking into account food security.