The study is devoted to the analysis of the Russian lithium market. The characteristics of the mineral resource base and the assessment of lithium raw material reserves in ore and hydromineral deposits in the Russia are given. Foreign trade operations with lithium are analyzed, based on which a conclusion is made about the almost complete dependence of domestic lithium producers on the supply of imported raw materials. A comparative assessment of the cost of lithium production by shaft and brine methods in Russia and competitor countries is given. Promising projects for the extraction and processing of lithium are described, and the characteristics of the measures of state support applied in this area are given. The underdevelopment of second-stage production in the form of enterprises for the production of individual elements for energy storage devices (anodes, cathodes, electrolyte) is noted. An overview of lithium consumption in Russia and the main consumer enterprises producing lithium batteries and energy storage systems based on them is made. Based on the consideration of trends in the global lithium market and the parameters of projects implemented in the country, the prospects for the development of production and consumption of lithium and finished products manufactured on its basis are presented. It is noted that in modern conditions, the creation of a complete production chain for the production of lithium products in Russia is becoming a necessary condition for ensuring national security and technological sovereignty of the country, creating a basis for increasing the role of the state in the world market of strategic products.
This article examines the role of startups in the implementation of the national project "Technological Support for the Bioeconomy," their potential use as an important lever for project investment through venture capital, and their potential applications. It also analyzes the technology entrepreneurship market, including project funding sources, in the United States, Europe, and Russia. The authors believe that in addressing the challenges identified in the new national project, related to the development of the food and processing industries using innovative technologies, the bulk of the work should be carried out by specialized research institutes and federal research centers, given their extensive experience, existing scientific infrastructure and laboratory facilities, and highly qualified personnel.
This article is devoted to the analysis of the processes of technological modernization of the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation for the period 2019-2023. The study reveals the industry's continued high dependence on imports of critical resources such as seeds and agricultural machinery. Based on Rosstat data, the positive dynamics of agricultural production, turnover of agricultural organizations, and export volumes of the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation are demonstrated. The paper highlights the uneven nature of the introduction of technological innovations in different sectors of agricultural production. The key technological trends determining the transformation of the agro-industrial complex, including precision agriculture, biotechnology, and digitalization, have been identified. The economic, scientific, technical, and organizational factors constraining the technological development of the country's agro-industrial complex have been identified. In conclusion, the author substantiates the need for an integrated approach to achieve technological sovereignty, combining government support, human resource development, and effective technology transfer.
Analyzing the environmental problems of land use, the author argues that all of them are a consequence of the lack of balance between the growing needs of the population and the ability to preserve and increase the resource potential of a land plot. This balance, according to the author, fits into the global concept of sustainable development, the implementation of which is based on the simultaneous solution of two tasks: ensuring the sustainability of economic development and the resource base of the natural environment. The author defines the formation of environmental consciousness in society as a key condition for solving the first task. The solution of the second task lies in eliminating the negative consequences of irrational land use, which cause destruction in the "living organism of the soil." Recommendations are given for solving the identified problems. According to the author, all environmental problems characterize only certain aspects (results) of the key problem, which is pollution. Therefore, pollution is proposed to be considered not as a species, but as a phase.The article shows that pollution occurs as a result of the lack (backwardness) of scientifically-based technologies for producing any products and/or using the results of labor. The use of inefficient technologies is driven by the desire to save costs on their improvement and is encouraged by the overestimated demand for goods and services without taking into account the balance between "human needs and natural resources," as well as the lack of environmental awareness among consumers. As a result, the sustainability of the natural environment is compromised, which, according to the author, is the only way to address all environmental issues related to land use. The author proposes a new interpretation of the methodological essence of the concepts of "pollution" and "pollutant." The author provides an original definition of the concept of "pollution," which states that pollution is the "introduction of elements that are not characteristic of nature into living matter, disrupting its natural (environmental) development." The author considers this definition of "pollution" to be universal, as it can be applied to other scientific fields where the introduction of unnecessary elements leads to the disruption of desired natural or anthropogenic outcomes. The author uses the terms "inefficiency," "unreasonableness," "tastelessness," and so on as synonyms for "pollution." In this context, the author suggests using the terms "pollution" and "pollutant" not as waste products of production and consumption, but as a depleted resource that cannot be used in modern conditions due to the lack of necessary technologies. According to the author, this approach to considering "pollution" and/or "pollutant" should be considered as one of the criteria for assessing the use of natural resources and should be the basis for the interconnected sustainable development of the economy and the environment.
The article is devoted to the study of the work of corporate venture funds in the agricultural sector. As part of the study, the current state and specifics of the venture investment market are assessed. Based on a comprehensive analysis, the main factors that influence the creation of a favorable investment climate and the development of agro-tech startups in Russia are identified. The goals and advantages of corporate venture funds are outlined. The strong point is the resources, experience, and consumers that the corporation has at its disposal. This provides additional opportunities and value to the startup, allowing it to find applications for the technology it is developing and test it by integrating it into existing production chains. The purpose of the study was to examine the experience of organizing and operating corporate venture funds, both in the agricultural sector and in other areas of the economy. The author concluded that the creation of funds requires a key element: an innovation management department that is deeply integrated into the company's business processes and capable of identifying its weaknesses. In corporations and agricultural holdings, it is necessary to encourage the creation of internal investment funds and the associated infrastructure that can develop innovative projects and provide funding for them.
Article examines the problem with the study of the problem of attracting qualified workers, especially young professionals with specialized education in the agricultural sector. Modern enterprises, especially those located far from big cities, must overcome a huge number of difficulties in finding qualified workers. The purpose of the study was to study problem areas in attracting new personnel and optimizing the company's personnel policy. The object of the study was the SEC Budogoshch company (an agricultural production cooperative). The authors conducted in-depth interviews with the company's managers, studied the company's personnel records, and conducted written surveys of the company's employees. In addition to the issues mentioned above, the study also identified ineffective onboarding programs for new employees and the distribution of workloads among the company's employees. The study identified areas of concern in the company's HR policies and recruitment methods. As a result, the study provided recommendations for improving the company's recruitment strategies, focusing on attracting younger professionals, and optimizing onboarding programs.
The relevance of studying the scientific aspects of agricultural production cooperation is related to the economic, social, and strategic aspects of agricultural sector and rural development. Cooperation allows farmers and small farms to pool resources for the joint purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, as well as for processing and marketing products, thereby reducing costs, improving product quality, and enhancing market competitiveness. Agricultural cooperation plays a key role in ensuring the country's food security by increasing local production, reducing dependence on imports, and developing sustainable supply chains. However, in recent years, interest in studying agricultural production cooperation has declined due to a shift in research focus to more technologically advanced and innovative areas in the agro-industrial complex, structural problems within the cooperation itself, and changes in government policy and the academic community. The purpose of this study is to highlight aspects of studying agricultural production cooperation in the current context. This article examines the theoretical aspects of agricultural cooperation research, drawing on a monographic analysis of scientific publications on agricultural cooperation in Russian sources. It also identifies trends in scientific fashion on the topic of cooperation based on data from domestic scientometric databases. It also examines the categorical apparatus of agricultural cooperation, including through an examination of various interpretations of the term "agricultural cooperation". It provides the author's definition of agricultural cooperation, highlights the differences and similarities between cooperation and integration and clustering, identifies the distinctive features of rural, agricultural, and agro-industrial cooperation, and defines the relationship between cooperation and a solidarity economy. The article examines the legal aspect in historical development at the international, national, regional, and municipal levels. A separate section presents methodological approaches (deterministic, synergetic, institutional, ideological, descriptive-monographic, holistic-social science, and economic-theoretical). A methodological approach to assessing the cooperation process within rural areas, using the results of a sociological survey, is also considered.
Despite the importance of developing small-scale farming in the agro-industrial complex and the adoption of many programmatic measures for this purpose, the number of farms with an area of agricultural land up to 200 hectares and personal subsidiary farms in Russia is declining at a high rate. This has led to an increase in rural unemployment and other costs. One of the main reasons for this is the insufficient development of consumer cooperation and contractual relations in the agro–industrial complex. At the same time, the role of agro-holdings in the country's food supply is growing, which is a consequence of the current agricultural policy's promotion of monopolization of ownership and concentration of production in the agricultural sector. Addressing this issue requires the federal government to focus on several areas, including improving social orientation through enhanced antitrust measures and respect for citizens' constitutional rights.
Currently, the development of our country’s economy is taking place in the context of an aggressive and unpredictable change in the external environment, which makes the problem of ensuring food security urgent. One of the effective directions of its solution is activation of processes of clustering construction in agro-industrial complex, providing accumulation of resource potentials of enterprises-participants, increasing their competitive status and obtaining a synergistic effect. The purpose of the work was to form a methodology for assessing the cluster potential of the territory and a model of pro-productive and economic interaction of participating enterprises within the regional grain and food cluster. The following research methods were used: statistical-economic, monographic, abstract-logical, computational-constructive. Research results. It offers a method of assessment of cluster potential of the region, allowing to identify grain food clusters in 8 regions of the Volga region. In contrast to the many methodologies developed so far, which require large-scale, long-term and very labour-intensive calculations for a variety of different parameters and composite indices, which also result in the estimation of the share of enterprises in the market or in the economy, The method achieves similar results through 7 consecutive steps. Application of the method of paired comparisons and graphical representation of results in the form of cluster map-radar makes it possible to visually compare results, to form appropriate conclusions and to determine further directions of development of cluster activity. An organizational and economic model for the functioning of an export-oriented grain product cluster with segmentation of production and sales directions by external and internal markets has been developed.
The subject of the study is the process of resource reproduction and the formation of physical availability of products as a complex problem in the field of agricultural development and food security. The goal is to substantiate the optimal parameters of the profitability level that ensure the formation of physical availability of products. The study is based on the provisions of theories of supply and demand and resource reproduction. Research methods are trend analysis and econometric modeling. As a result of the study, models were built to substantiate the level of cost recovery necessary to form physical availability of the main types of products. Elasticity coefficients in the models show that an increase in the cost recovery indicator by 1% will cause an increase in per capita production of grain by 4.18%, potatoes by 1.67%, vegetables by 3.06%, sunflower by 1.03%, sugar beets by 2.52%, beef by 2.94%, milk by 1.43%, and eggs by 1.12процентов The hypothesis of the significant role of profitability in ensuring reproduction and physical accessibility is confirmed for all types of products. Using the resulting models, a target level of product profitability is substantiated, aimed at satisfying the interests of agricultural businesses in ensuring normal resource reproduction, on the one hand, and society in achieving self-sufficiency in rational consumption standards, on the other. These scientific findings will be useful to management bodies and participants in strategic planning for the agro-industrial complex in setting goals for agricultural development and ensuring food security as a complex issue.