Assessing the reproduction of land resources in the context of achieving food security

Abstract

The article conducted a study of the level of reproduction of land resources in Russia, in the conditions of the formation of food security. It was revealed that the growth of food production in Russia leads to a decrease in the potential of agricultural land. A significant part of the land occupied by agricultural crops is not fertilized. The introduced volumes of nutrients are insufficient for either simple or extended reproduction. Volumes of fertilizers close to simple reproduction are applied to grain and leguminous crops. An increase in the application of potassium would fully allow for the simple reproduction of land occupied by grain crops. The most critical situation has developed with the lands used for growing sugar beets. The lack of nutrients led to the fact that in 2019 the earth lost more than 200 kg of nitrogen and potassium. The identified situation is a threat to both food and national security. If the current trend continues, the yield will show a downward trend, which, even if costs remain at the same level, will lead to an increase in prices, and, accordingly, to a decrease in food availability. In general, there is a pronounced situation of depletion of land resources. Instead of stimulating the introduction of fertilizers and ensuring low prices for them, the country’s leadership is stimulating food exports. This situation is similar to the export of mineral resources and timber. Grain, like oilseeds, is predominantly exported in a non-processed form, which is inherently a low value-added resource commodity. But the main thing is that soil fertility is actually exported, since the applied fertilizers do not even provide simple reproduction.