The Russian agro-industrial complex (AIC) remains one of the most energy-intensive sectors of the economy, requiring significant energy resources for the production and processing of agricultural products. This high energy consumption negatively impacts the natural environment, contributing to climate change and global warming. Therefore, there is a growing need to implement energy-saving technologies that can improve energy efficiency and reduce its negative impact on the environment [1]. The benefits of implementing energy-saving technologies in agriculture deserve special attention. First and foremost, they help reduce energy costs, which, in turn, saves money and increases the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. Furthermore, energy-saving measures help reduce environmental pollution and prevent greenhouse gas emissions, which is an important part of the fight against global climate change. Reducing energy consumption not only improves the environment but also helps conserve energy resources for future use by future generations. Increasing the energy efficiency of the production process in agriculture is possible only by reducing the energy intensity of all its stages at all enterprises in the country engaged in the production of goods or the provision of services to the population, including agricultural organizations.
This article identifies and systematizes key current trends in the development of local agrifood markets within the Russian agro-industrial complex. Using a systems approach and structural-sectoral analysis, the local market is examined as a subsystem of the agro-industrial complex, operating across four interconnected dimensions: production, infrastructure, digital, and institutional. The study revealed a trend toward a qualitative shift in the production sector from raw materials to differentiated goods with specific characteristics (organic certification, craft processing, and territorial identification). In the infrastructure sector, the formation of a multichannel distribution system is clearly evident, while in the digital sector, a parallel digital circuit of local markets is emerging, providing direct access for small producers to the end consumer. Institutional changes are characterized by increased government support for small agribusinesses while regulatory barriers remain. It is demonstrated that the identified trends are mutually reinforcing and are developing in line with federal processes of import substitution and technological modernization in the agro-industrial complex. In conclusion, it is concluded that local markets are undergoing a stage of systemic modernization, transforming from a peripheral segment into a steadily developing component of the national agro-industrial complex, and the further vector of their development is outlined.
The digital transformation of sales channels is a key factor in enhancing the resilience and competitiveness of all economic sectors as a whole. Research into the agro-industrial complex in this aspect is important, as the dynamics of online sales in this sector are developing at a distinct pace. The relevance of this topic is driven by the dynamic development of digital technologies, which are altering the structure of agricultural product sales channels, and is further confirmed by the growth in e-commerce turnover, which in Russia in 2025 amounted to 11.6 trillion rubles. The aim of this study is to analyze domestic experience, the current situation, and to identify promising vectors for the development of online agricultural product sales in Russia. The current stage is characterized by the formation of a segmented system of digital platforms, with public-private initiatives playing a dominant role. It has been revealed that while federal specialized marketplaces for the sale of agricultural products already exist, their level of penetration remains low. This is contributed to by existing limitations that restrain the pace of e-commerce development in the agro-industrial sector. Assessing these limitations and determining a course of action to address them will facilitate the process of integrating online sales into the agricultural sector, aiming to develop connections between producer and consumer, which in turn will positively influence the economic sustainability of this sector.
This article analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of legal regulation of competitiveness in the agri-food sector. Improving the legal regulation of competitive relations is crucial to ensuring sustainable economic development and limiting trends toward monopolization of production. The study revealed that budgetary, credit, and tax mechanisms for regulating the competitiveness of agricultural producers are currently ineffective. State support for agricultural producer profitability, as well as agricultural insurance and leasing programs, are insufficient. Under these conditions, increasing the competitiveness of the industry is becoming difficult. Legal mechanisms for the development and targeted use of budget funds are ineffective and require improvement. Further development of legislation regulating competitive relations in the agri-food sector is necessary, focusing on tightening antitrust controls and ensuring conditions for fair competition among economic entities. To improve the legal regulation of competitiveness in the agri-food sector, the development of legislation to support competition protection institutions is particularly important.
Wholesale food markets are an integral part of the distribution of agricultural products in many countries, such as France, Poland, Germany, Spain, and Italy. They provide trade, marketing, logistics, information services, as well as services for the storage, processing, packaging, and transportation of goods. In Russia, wholesale food markets have not yet been adequately developed, despite several measures taken by the government. To change this situation, it seems appropriate to adopt a special law regulating the activities of this link in the supply chain, aimed at protecting the rights of agricultural producers and developing a network structure of markets. One of the necessary conditions for the creation of a network of wholesale food markets is government participation through public-private partnerships.
This article is dedicated to the analysis of the digital transformation of trade infrastructure in the Russian agricultural market, which is a pressing issue amid the global digitalization of socio-economic development, the country's lag in applied information and communication technologies (ICT), and the necessity to ensure food security. The authors substantiate the importance of overcoming the fragmentation of existing digital solutions, the persistent digital inequality between large and small market participants, as well as the inadequacy of current forms of state support. A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach is proposed for studying the transformation of domestic agricultural trade infrastructure, based on the integration of socio-economic, institutional, and technical-technological aspects. Among the key practical proposals are the application of a three-level schematic model of an electronic platform designed to unify government, sectoral, and commercial systems to create an end-to-end digital trace of products; the establishment of a dedicated electronic exchange for agri-food products based on public-private partnership principles; the implementation of a dual-vector personnel training model focused on the creation of multidisciplinary teams, relying on internet television and multicast technologies; and the introduction of mechanisms for targeted state support of digitalization for small and medium-sized enterprises in agri-food trade, including a network of «digital business hubs» and a «digital voucher» system to address digital inequality.
This study examines the challenges of improving the methodological approach to modeling the interactions between agriculture and the mineral fertilizer industry. The proposed methodology is based on a comprehensive analysis of the dependence of crop yields on fertilizer application rates. The paper consistently substantiates the need to abandon the assumption of constant direct cost coefficients, analyzes the nature of nonlinear relationships between fertilizer application and yields, considers factors such as price volatility and foreign trade restrictions, and proposes a toolkit in the form of a specialized software application implementing a hybrid approach to inter-industry modeling. Particular attention is paid to the specific Russian context, characterized by significant natural and climatic differentiation and a highly export-oriented mineral fertilizer market.
This article presents a system of models, an algorithm, and an information-analytical toolkit for determining key parameters of regional agrofood systems, such as sown areas, yields, and gross harvests of major agricultural crops over a forecast period extending to 2036. Modeling and forecasting the dynamics of key crop production indicators allows the results to be used to forecast the dynamics of the food system as a whole, including livestock production and the use of agricultural products for food purposes. The study is based on a dynamic approach. A key feature of the dynamic approach to system modeling is that it enables the study of system states depending on changes in resources, costs, profits, system efficiency, etc. over time. Furthermore, to forecast the dynamics in the model, it is necessary to provide input data on the parameters of past system states to obtain output values. The article demonstrates that, in general, the specification of regression models for sown areas may include other factors, but for all crops, the variable—revenue from product sales for the past period—is included in the arguments. The models consider the availability of technical resources to mechanize key production processes in crop production as resource constraints. Planned crop yield (as a lagged variable for grain corn) is a significant factor in all models. The input parameters in the yield models for major crops include forecast data from the RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 climate scenarios, used by IPCC experts.
The article discusses the theoretical and methodological aspects of the development of integration processes in the agro-industrial complex of Russia. A retrospective analysis of the evolution of the factors and principles of integration, systematized by the authors in three key stages: the 1990 s, the late 1990 s-early 2000 s and the period from the mid-2000 years. It is shown that at each historical stage, the dominant factors (economic, technological, institutional) and the corresponding principles of building integrated structures reflected the specific tasks facing the industry, from overcoming the crisis and restoring ties to the transition to an innovative development path. As a result of summarizing studies from different years, the authors conclude that integration is a universal organizational and economic mechanism that ensures the synergetic effect, competitiveness and food security of the country, and its modern development should be based on a systematic approach combining the interests of science, business and the state.
This article provides a comprehensive assessment of structural changes in livestock production in the Russian Federation for the period 2000-2024, based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service. Using statistical analysis and multivariate clustering, significant regional asymmetries in the distribution of livestock numbers and the production of milk, meat, and eggs were identified. It was found that pig farming entered a stagnation phase in 2024 for the first time in a long period (with the herd declining to 27.8 million heads) amid hyperconcentration in the Central Federal District (56% of the herd). Dairy farming has demonstrated steady productivity growth – the average milk yield per cow reached 8,290 kg, offsetting the decline in the cattle herd (to 16.2 million heads). Poultry farming has reached a plateau, with egg production at 46.5 billion. Cluster analysis identifies leading regions (Tyumen Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, and the Republic of Tatarstan) and persistently underperforming areas (the Volga region, Altai Krai, and the Republics of Mari El, Udmurtia, and Mordovia). The need for a transition from a territorial principle of state support to a structural and sectoral profile of regions is substantiated. Differentiated recommendations for livestock development are proposed for each type of region.