Vegetable production under the influence of food insecurity, environmental factors, and international integration processes

Abstract

The significance of vegetable production is driven by the need of the population for vitamin products, processing enterprises for raw materials, especially in wartime, in the face of food and environmental hazards, and the need to increase export opportunities, considering international integration processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of war on the economic availability and environmental safety of food, to identify and assess the components and vectors of food and environmental safety management, and to evaluate and promote exports in the context of international economic integration. The study employed the methods of analysis and synthesis, generalisation and specification, mathematical and graphical methods. Sources of information: data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The study analysed the current state of vegetable production, identified the key problems under the influence of food hazards, environmental factors, and integration processes. The study examined the impact of the war on the economic availability and environmental safety of food, estimated the volume of deficit in vegetable production, identified the principal economic and environmental problems and areas for improving the efficiency of the industry in the future. The volume of the deficit in vegetable production was found and the size of the lost sowing areas was determined; the reasons for the unsatisfactory state of vegetable production were identified. It was established that in recent years the country has experienced a temporary famine, which is unacceptable in the European space. It was found that, to minimise the agri-food crisis and environmental threats, it is necessary to focus on the implementation of the proposed measures to support production efficiency, the implementation of which will allow solving the issues of independence and food security of territorial communities, especially in times of war, and improve the functionality of governing bodies, economic entities, investors, scientists, and producers based on sustainable development. The practicality of the study findings is confirmed by the effectiveness of the developed proposals that can be used in the implementation of measures to increase vegetable production and exports