Priorities for Sustainable Development of Regional Agri-Food Systems in the Context of Achieving Food Security

The study presents methodological approaches to developing regional agri-food strategies integrating economic, social, and environmental indicators, aiming to improve socio-economic and environmental efficiency in the context of food security. To assess regional sustainable development, a hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s method was applied to compare Russian regions based on indicators of agricultural specialization, economic efficiency, food security, social conditions, and environmental impact. The analysis identified seven distinct regional clusters with significant socio-economic and environmental differences. A critical finding is that all clusters exhibit persistent problems with waste disposal and neutralization, alongside an acute shortage of investment for technological modernization and additional processing capacity. Key priorities for improving efficiency in achieving food security are identified, and differentiated sustainable development strategies for the selected groups are proposed, including recommendations for adapting governance mechanisms and state support. The need for fundamentally new forms of financing innovative businesses is substantiated. This study provides a differentiated framework for developing regulatory tools for regional agri-food systems based on cluster analysis results. The findings have practical value for planning socio-economic and environmental development programs and for formulating state innovation policy in agricultural support.