Sustainable functioning of processing industry enterprises as a factor in ensuring food security

The change in the economic situation in Russia in 2020 led to a decline in business activity in all sectors of the economy, without exception, and, in addition, caused a decrease in real incomes of the population. The current situation has had a negative impact on the sustainability of food industry enterprises, whose activities are in many ways closely related to the volume of demand in the food market and its structure. The study was conducted on the example of large enterprises of the food industry of the Black Earth region, for which the calculation and economic interpretation of financial results, business efficiency, financial stability and business activity were carried out. It was found that the results of the production and economic activities of the enterprises in question deteriorated against the background of the pandemic, which caused a decrease in business activity, financial stability and profitability of production. Even taking into account the improvement of the situation by 2022, the situation of food industry enterprises in the Black Earth region cannot be called stable, which is due to the lengthening of the financial cycle and a decrease in the share of sustainable capital. The high strategic importance of the processing industry in ensuring food security actualizes the formation of directions for ensuring sustainable development. The main measures should include increasing the share of sustainable capital, as well as increasing business activity.