Increasing the efficiency of the inter-branch interactions in the integrated structures of the agro-food sector of Russia

The last decade of development of the Russian economy is characterized by rapid development of new organizational and economic forms emerging on the basis of a complex of inter-connected sectors. The paper studies the theoretical issues of development of the integration processes and proposes the methods of analyzing and forecasting the development of the inter-sector interactions in regional agro-systems. The development of integrated structures in the Russian economy is viewed with reference to the macro- and meso-levels and large production and technological complexes. The authors examine the theoretical and practical aspects of linking into a single system of multi-sector formations as elements of the verti-cally integrated economy and at the same time as inter-firm (corporate) structures. Determined are the prospects of development of the integrated formations with the view to balance the material and financial flows and to eliminate the structural distortions on the food market and in the added value growth. The paper presents the conditions and factors of the re-integration processes in the agro-food complex as a qualitatively new stage of development of the inter-sector interactions. Having studied the institutional trends in the corporate sector of the agro-food complex, the authors determine the criteria of creation of the inte-grated structures, develop the mechanism of increasing their efficiency based on the reduction of transaction costs and the number of intermediates in the food chains. As an instrument of improving the corporate management the authors propose the system of matrix models of integrated structures which is being constructed on the basis of the available statistics, primary accounting data and results of sampling observations. The paper describes the influence of the new forms of inter-sector formations on the structure of the food market. Also it contains the results of the study of the vertical integration processes going in all elements of the food chains as a market access restriction.

Supply regulation at Russian regional markets

The central concept of the Russian agro-industrial production stabilization programme is a combination of market relations with government protectionist policy. The results achieved in the course of agrarian reforms in Russian regions indicate that there have been provided important legal and organizational conditions for successful functioning of multi-layer agriculture and formation of land market. However, as the paper shows, the agrarian reform still fails to bring about any growth in production. The present situation is such that if the current trends in AIC remain the downswing in production may make another 15% in the nearest years. This requires immediate measures to be taken in order to increase food supply and protect the domestic commodity producers. For the purpose of planning a strategy of further reforms in AIC there have been identified the basic factors of stabilization of regional food markets. The paper contains the results of correlation-regression analysis and the typology of Russian regions based on the evaluation of the factors that govern the food demand and supply and the complex indicator of the level and structure of nourishment. It is shown that if the Russian food market is localized within the bounds of individual regions then the principal factors restraining food consumption are the low level of quality ecologically pure products. The paper also contains suggestions associated with improvement of the taxation system in part it is applied to agricultural commodity producers. principal factors restraining food consumption are the low level of development of the agrarian sector in the region and the insufficient provision of the local processing enterprises with raw agricultural produce. It is proven that the regional agrarian policy must pay due respect for the specific natural and climatic features as well as for the resource potential of the region. Along with this it is clear that food self-provision of regions must not in any way neutralize the production specialization and hamper the development of inter-regional ties. The research shows that the existing underdeveloped market environment is the cause for the low effectiveness of market means of regulation like interest rates and tax privileges. The application of direct economic instruments of regulation such as compensations for the agricultural producers' expenses, intervention purchases, subsidies and budget allocations for realization of investment programmes seems more reasonable in this situation. It is important that the agricultural commodity producers be supported selectively, the most effective ones having the priority. The authors outline some fundamental principles of a flexible price mechanism. The latter allows for the prices adjusted on federal and regional levels, pledge and target prices and price differentials for high quality ecologically pure products. The paper also contains suggestions associated with improvement of the taxation system in part it is applied to agricultural commodity producers.

Theoretical and methodological problems of innovation development of the Russian agricultural and food processing complex

This paper focuses on the most important results of scientific research made by the Institution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Agrarian Problems of RAS. The feature of this research is to implement cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches to the analysis and projection of agricultural and food industry development. The conceptual framework for strategic cross-sectoral management of the Russian agricultural and food processing sector was elaborated; it is aimed at strengthening food security. The priority of ensuring food security is to develop a new model of the Russian agricultural complex which has potential for sustainable dynamic growth and innovation receptivity that allows solving problems of raising living standards, efficiency and competitiveness

Providing the Russian Agro-Industrial Complex With Highly Qualified Personnel in the Context of the Global Transition to a «Green Economy»

The transition to new business conditions in the agro-industrial sector puts forward new requirements for staffing. High qualification of workers in agribusiness is one of the main conditions for creating a platform for the transition from industrialization to environmentally responsible economic growth. However, few existing training and retraining programs for the agro-industrial sector allow to provide the labour market by specialists whose professional competencies include an environmentally responsible context. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the opportunities and prospects for reforming educational programs to train highly qualified specialists for the Russian agro-industrial complex. This article is based on a content analysis of research, economic and statistical data that reliably characterize trends and tendencies in the development of the Russian agro-industry at the present time. One of the most rational approaches to provide the Russian agro-industrial sector with highly qualified human resources, which possess competences in environmentally responsible organization of activities can be based on the Triple Helix Model. The information presented in the article has allowed to make the following main conclusions. Firstly, the environmentally responsible development of the economy as a whole, as well as of its separate sectors, spheres, as well as of the social sector, is the basic condition for the physical survival of modern civilization. Secondly, in the Russian system of training personnel for the agro-industrial sector, the concept of environmentally responsible and innovative-oriented education has not been systematically implemented. Therefore, in practice, the agrarian regions of Russia urgently need skilled personnel with the appropriate level of professional competence in resource-efficient nature management. These conclusions can be used as at the macroeconomic level for the elaboration of development programs of the Russian agro-industry, and at the microeconomic level for the improvement of ways and approaches to corporate training. Within this article, we did not specify the modern techniques of the personnel training and the development of personnel capacity in agro-industriy. This aspect will become a subject-mater for our further research

Methodology for Assessing the Quality of Agribusiness Activity Based on the Environmentally Responsible Approach

The article is devoted to the research and development of quality evaluation methods of agro-industrial enterprises activity in the regional economy with the use of the ecological approach. The hypothesis of the study is that the activity of the economic entities (as well as of agribusiness) must be assessed not only in the context of economic efficiency and effectiveness, but also in the context of environmental ethics and environmental aggression. As the initial data, we have used the indicators of economic statistics of Russian agrarian-oriented regions, as well as the data received from management reporting on the sample of enterprises of three regions (the Belgorod and Moscow regions, Krasnodar Territory). The article offers the economic and mathematical approach for measuring the level of the environmental responsibility of agro-industrial enterprises on the basic formula of the Mandelbrot set and statistical indicator of Hurst. Our scientific contribution is the development of a modified methodology for assessing the quality of the activity of agro-industrial enterprises using the parameter characterizing the level of environmental ethics and environmental aggression of these entities. The main result of the study is the approbation of the method, which has shown its practical applicability and relative coherence with certain indicators of regional ecological statistics. The proposed method is characterized by the integration of the different mathematical approaches and as an adaptive assessment tool that can be used to assess the quality of the activity of both agro-industrial enterprises and enterprises of other industries and fields of the economy. In the further works, the authors plan to develop methodological approaches to the assessment of the quality of agro-industrial products. At the same time, the main attention will be paid to the ecological and social component of the quality