From Self-Sufficiency to Food Independence: Methodological Approach and State Assessment in Kazakhstan

Research Objective is to comprehensively assess the state of food independence in Kazakhstan and to develop an adapted methodology for calculating the level of food independence, taking into account actual exports and rational consumption norms.

Research Methodology: includes a systematic review of the literature; general scientific methods: comparative and graphical analysis, statistical analysis, cause-and-effect analysis, generalization. The core analytical approach is a comparative calculation of indicators using two alternative formulas, the official and proposed by authors food-independence indicator, in combination with a dynamic analysis for 2020–2024. The comparison is conducted for aggregated product groups (мeat products, мilk and dairy products, еggs, fruit and berries, vegetables, potatoes, and sunflower oil).

Originality and Practical Value of the Study.  Based on the justification of the need to distinguish between the concepts of “food self-sufficiency” and “food independence,” the authors developed a methodology for calculating the level of food independence, taking into account actual exports and physiological consumption standards. The approaches and calculations proposed in the work can be used in public administration practice when forming strategies to increase food independence.

Research Findings: as part of the study, the country's level of food independence was calculated using official and author's methods for the main product groups, and the results were compared. The identified discrepancies between the approaches demonstrate the need to revise the current methodological recommendations. According to the authors' methodology, the greatest shortages are observed for dairy products, certain types of meat (lamb), fruits and berries, and sunflower oil. In qualitative terms, the level of supply for these groups is characterized as below critical (cheese and cottage cheese, fruit) and below the low threshold level (dairy products, sunflower oil, lamb), which indicates the existence of a persistent domestic deficit. An imbalance has been identified, whereby the growth in exports of certain products (sunflower oil, lamb) is accompanied by continued import dependence and a deficit in the domestic market, which requires a review of export and import policy.

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