Modern development paradigms of regional agrifood systems

Abstract

Increasing demand for food products, globalization of markets, trade liberalization, technological changes in the methods of production and storage of food products require the deepening of research of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the development of agrifood systems at different levels. Taking into account the clearly expressed regional heterogeneity of development of agrifood sector of Ukrainian economy, as well as increasing role and importance of regional level of management in the modern economy, the characteristic features of agriindustrial, territorial and hybrid paradigms of regional systems development are considered in the paper in the context of post-nonclassical methodology. Significant extension of the concept of “development of regional agrifood systems”, which in modern interpretation covers not only traditional issues of organization of production, processing and marketing of agrifood products, but also such subject areas as food security, social inclusivity, nature protection and rural development is outlined. Bortis’s scheme reflecting the ordering of individual elements of reality according to their stability over time was used to analyze the selected paradigms. Particular attention is paid to highlighting the institutional aspects of the development of regional agrifood systems and the role of civil society in this process. It is also noted that the hybrid paradigm, which combines elements of agriindustrial and territorial paradigms and takes into account the incompleteness of transitional processes, is the most suitable for implementation in Ukraine, where during the years of post-socialist transformations the dualistic model of the agrifood sector functioning has been established. Priority directions of research of prospects of development of regional agrifood systems under conditions of strategic rapprochement of Ukraine with the European Union are highlighted.