Import substitution of food as a disintegration factor of the evolutionary development of the economy of modern Russia

It is shown that the gradual strengthening of integration processes in the world trade in food products with Russia’s participation was accompanied by an increase in negative trends in ensuring the country’s food security and determining its role as an economic recipient of the products of foreign agro-industrial complexes. The imposition of embargoes on foreign-made food products imported into Russia in response to sanctions and geopolitical threats acted as a de-integration factor for the existing system of world economic relations in the food trade and played an exceptionally positive role for Russia’s economic development and its acquisition of food non- dependence. Accents of import substitution shifted from the ousting of foreign producers from the Russian food market to the revival of highly effective domestic production of food products, able to meet the full needs of the country’s population in quality and safe food. The scale, structure and dynamics of foreign trade turnover of food products and their domestic production for the period from 2000 to 2017, its features in the conditions of the food embargo were analyzed. The conclusion is made about the gradual strengthening of positive trends in the field of food import substitution in Russia in 2015-2017. The problems preventing the increase of efficiency of import substitution in the sphere of food production are revealed, the ways of their solution are suggested. It is substantiated that the weakest point in competitive positions of domestic food products in terms of their import substitution is the low level of safety, science intensity and innovation. To increase the effectiveness of import substitution, it is necessary to systematically solve the problems accompanying it, to develop an effective mechanism for its implementation, as well as to provide resourse and financial support through the adoption of a long-term import substitution strategy in the Russian Federation, including the sphere of food production. Domestic food producers should establish tax, credit and organizational-economic preferences, related to commodity circulation in the system of food networks.