FAMINE IN RETROSPECT: PAST EXPERIENCE AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

The study presents integrated data on the crises and ways of dealing with famine and guaranteeing food security in Russia and in the USSR. The article reveals the dynamics of the food crises paying attention to the national peculiarities as well as specific historical, political and socio-economic conditions. Consideration of the issue of famine in retrospect allowed to determine that the causes of food crises depend not only on the crop yield and productivity of livestock farming. As for Russia, the combination of two main factors, social and environmental, lead to famine. The author demonstrates that unfavorable weather conditions that had been taking place during one year lead to food issues, food crises, for several years. When adverse environmental and climate conditions were coupled with social issues for some years that lead to even more complicated situation, humanitarian disaster, which had been undermining the economy of the country for a long time. The review gives the facts showing how drastic the consequences can be if one copies the experience of another country without much consideration and introduces it into the existing production system. The author supposes that successful development of agriculture in Russia and country in general can be possible only after deep understanding of the causes and specific nature of the processes taking place in agriculture. Preservation of natural resources along with rapid development of agro-industrial complex will depend on high technology and demands sufficient investment. In order to guarantee food security it is necessary to use perspective approach. It should help not only solve current food shortage problems in some particular parts of the world but also make it possible to prevent the threat of famine in the future.