Agrarian Economy 2021 Т. 14 № 1-2:110-115

Latest Global Challenges for Development of Agro-Food Clusters in the Context of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Petrukha S., Candidate of Economics
Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture

ANNOTATION

In accordance with forecasts of international organizations, the number of the population has to increase by more than 3 billion people by 2100 that, with the reduction in the amounts of natural resources and an increasingly significant impact of climate change, requires to outline the key challenges, in particular, for agro-food clusters as well. A food security problem is acute even today for 8.9% of the population that actualizes shaping scenarios of development of agro-food clusters for a timely response to the challenges associated with the worsening of the natural conditions for production of required amounts of quality food by increasing the productivity of agriculture through adaptivity to climatic changes and a more efficient usage of resources (land, water, labor, financial, informational, material resources). In accordance with set aspects, the purpose of research has become outlining the global challenges, which will determine the agro-food cluster development trends. It is substantiated that modern global challenges are associated with: orientation on the consumption of alternative proteins; critically high amounts of waste and food product losses; decrease in agricultural crop yields because of climate change; a high level of greenhouse gas emissions in the process of production of agricultural products; increase in incomes of the population; increase in investment amounts; increase in biofuel production volumes; an impact of the latest pandemics; application of alternative technologies in production of agricultural products (using a vertical farming technology that provides significantly higher yields; spreading a practice of drone use to carry out all types of agricultural production; use of digital marketing tools as technology that enables establishing a contact directly between goods producer and a consumer by using mobile applications and social media). Each of the identified challenges can subsequently cause the occurrence of a new threat or the occurrence of opportunities for more active development of agro-food clusters. An adequate response both at the agro-food cluster level and at the international level, along with the improvement of the mechanisms of meeting the priority needs of everyone for food products, will form the foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

KEY WORDS

challenge, agro-food cluster, agriculture, waste, food products, sustainable development

FULL TEXT

LINK