Certain legal aspects of monitoring and evaluation of food security
Authors: Tuieva Oksana 
Published: July 2024

Problem setting. In today’s world, food security is one of the most important components of any country’s public policy and an indispensable subject of cooperation between international institutions. This is due to the irreplaceability and exceptional social significance of agricultural products for the existence and reproduction of mankind, and the impact of its quality, safety and quantity indicators on the health of the world’s population. That is why in September 2015, 193 UN member states approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides a global view of the international community’s objectives aimed at eliminating poverty and hunger, as well as conserving, restoring and rationally using natural resources. The multidimensional nature and complexity of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals included in this document makes the issue of implementing and operating a monitoring system, both at the global level in a universal context and in particular monitoring the level of food security, a topical issue. Purpose of the research is to analyze the current state of regulatory and institutional support for food security monitoring, to clarify the importance and role of monitoring in assessing the state of food security, as well as to identify the main problems and formulate proposals and directions for improving the current legislation in this area. Analysis of recent researches and publications. The issue of legal support for food security is in the field of interest of both economic and legal scholars. M.M. Babych, H.A. Hryhoryeva, V.M. Yermolenko, T.O. Kovalenko, T.V. Kurman, A.D. Mostova and others have devoted their works to the study of issues related to this area. These authors have made a significant contribution to the scientific and practical solution of problems arising in connection with the proper legal support of food security. Ukraine’s orientation towards building a modern information society and a service-oriented, digital state requires scientific emphasis on clarifying issues related to monitoring and evaluation of food security as a prerequisite for its sustainability and inclusiveness. Article’s main body. Food security is the key to socio-economic development and one of the most important components of any country’s state policy, and is the subject of cooperation between international institutions. Ukraine’s accession to the global process of ensuring sustainable development actualizes the issue of developing and applying methodological tools for assessing the state of food security. The article emphasizes that Ukraine’s orientation towards building a modern information society and a service-oriented, digital state requires scientific emphasis on clarifying issues related to monitoring and assessing the state of food security as a prerequisite for its sustainability and inclusiveness. The definition of food security monitoring is provided. It is determined that the organization of food security monitoring should be based on the following principles: reliability, efficiency, preventive nature, objectivity, systematicity, orderliness, science, and predictability. The current state of regulatory and institutional support for food security monitoring is considered. It is established that these legal acts lack some important indicators used by the FAO, which are necessary for an objective assessment of the level and dynamics of food security in Ukraine, and the importance of harmonizing domestic legislation with international standards is emphasized. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The current legislation is characterized by the absence of a comprehensive legal act that would be in line with current international practices and ensure the implementation of effective mechanisms and tools, including food security monitoring. As a result, the assessment of food security is fragmented and unsystematic. The creation of a national database on food security and threat assessment, as well as the introduction of a permanent effective monitoring system, will increase the state’s ability to counteract food security threats.