Typification of the Russian cross-border territories by the level of food provision and security.

This paper considers a relatively new issue: the role analysis of Russian cross-border regions in food provision of the country and ensuring food security of the regions themselves. The methodological foundation of the analysis was the studies conducted by Russian scientists, legal documents of the government, distribution statistics of public investments in the cross-border regions. The authors amply demonstrate the inequality in distribution of federal funds to the fixed capital of the cross-border regions, highlight the leading regions and outsider regions. The article assesses the economic development level of groups of cross-border regions, isolated by geographical feature. It is quite convincingly remarked that the Russian Federation has not formed an effective policy regarding the border territories in general, and ensuring their food security, in particular. The cross-border regions occupy a significant part in federal investments. Nevertheless, priority regions that are in acute need of state support to ensure their accelerated development have not been determined. In depressed regions, the average per capita consumption of staple foods that meets the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation from 2016 has not yet been provided. The authors have traced the underconsumption of such essential human health products as milk, dairy products and vegetables to low incomes of the population. The abandoned status of some territories is the cause of their plight. Today, the issues of these territories are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Regional Development, which mainly solves the general problems of the regions. They do not consider the particularities of the cross-border territories and the significance of their development for ensuring food security in Russia. The paper concludes with the specific proposals for solving the topical issues of ensuring food security of the cross-border regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]