National Food Security Strategy of the Republic of Belarus:scientific support and implementation mechanisms

[Objective]The report reflects the major objectives of the Republic of Belarus in ensuring national food security and sustainable socio-economic development of Agro-Industrial Complex.It is shown that the modern strategy of ensuring the food security of the Republic is based on self-sufficiency in the main types of agricultural products and food,the development of strong agriculture,as well as the implementation of socio-economic policy aimed at improving the level and quality of nutrition of the population.The main provisions of the Doctrine of National Food Security of the Republic of Belarus until 2030 are presented,which was developed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus together with government bodies and approved by the government of the country,key goals,objectives,indicators and mechanisms for their achievement are identified.The tasks of scientific support of all sectors of Agro-Industrial Complex,food security and nutrition of the population as one of the key directions of development of the Republic of Belarus are substantiated.[Method]The Institute of System Researches in Agro-Industrial Complex of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus annually carries out the instrumentally applied methodology for monitoring food security,which covers the entire agro-food chain,from the production of agricultural raw materials,processing,marketing to the consumption of products by the population.It includes a balanced system of indicators and their threshold values-60 basic and more than 250 additional indicators.[Result]Based on the monitoring results,it was established that Belarus is increasing its production potential by implementing a number of breakthrough areas in the development of Agro-Industrial Complex:measures to modernize farms with full automation of production processes using smart farm technology and milking robots;developments aimed at preserving and improving soil fertility;development of technologies based on deep processing of livestock and crop raw materials and new types of products with high added value.The domestic industry of specialized and functional nutrition products is developing rapidly.[Conclusion]It is crucial for the Republic of Belarus and,in particular,for the organizations of the National Academy of Sciences,to actively participate in the implementation of initiatives in the scientific support of the food security strategy within the Union State,the Eurasian Economic Union,the CIS,as well as with the People's Republic of China.This will allow consolidating the efforts of agricultural scientists in our countries and achieving the key development objectives of our countries in the field of Agro-Industrial Complex on a cooperative basis.