STATISTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE FOOD DEPENDENCE OF THE WORLD’S COUNTRIES ON UKRAINIAN EXPORTS OF MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Since the beginning of full-scale Russian aggression, Ukraine's role in solving food issues and the problem of world hunger has become even more crucial. Countries with a high share of Ukrainian imports are at risk of aggravating food problems caused by delays in the supply of Ukrainian products and, as a result, higher food prices. Therefore, this article analyzes the main indicators that characterize the food dependence of the world's countries on Ukraine. A cluster analysis of countries by food dependence indicators is carried out to identify the most dependent groups of countries. In the progress of the work, an integral indicator of food dependence was calculated and built up a rating of countries' dependence on Ukraine, and as a result, the Top 10 most dependent countries were selected. It was found that the most dependent on Ukrainian exports are mainly African countries and some European countries, which are geographically close to Ukraine — that are important partners in foreign economic activity. The article outlines the role of Ukraine in ensuring food stability in the world.