Food consumption in East Kazakhstan region - focus on stability of indicators

Consumption of food products by the population is an important indicator of food security, as this concept includes not only food independence, but also the availability of food products. The aim is to assess the relationship between economic indicators and sustainable development of agro-industrial complex in East Kazakhstan for 2012-2023, with emphasis on the impact of the existing conditions and factors on food consumption patterns.
Methods include econometric modeling, statistical estimation, data synthesis and regression analysis to study the obtained data, identify patterns and summarize suggestions and recommendations. Innovative econometric techniques supported by Eviews 12.0 software allow the interaction between different variables to be quantified with precision.
Results show that growth in gross regional product per capita is correlated with improvements in dietary diversity and nutritional quality, increasing food security. The authors note that fluctuations in agricultural production significantly affect food availability and prices. An analysis of the level of food utilization is presented, which makes it possible to determine the state and prospects for the development of key branches of the agricultural sector of the region and the achievement of import substitution policy. The negative point is the problem of economic availability of food products in the region in the necessary volumes and assortment for residents with low incomes, which is caused by the growth of inflation and the decline in real money. It is shown that economic parameters explain about 95% of the variability in food consumption. The subsistence minimum plays an important role in food consumption. Its growth leads to an increase in food expenditures, which in turn affects the overall level of food consumption. Regular adjustments to social standards are needed.
Conclusions - the possibilities of food stability in the country depend on the demand trends in the food market. There is a direct correlation between the productivity of agricultural production and the structure of consumer demand for food products. The state policy in the sphere of food consumption and provision of the population with food should include mechanisms to reduce income differences, stabilize prices, focus on balanced nutrition, and a comprehensive approach to forecasting consumer preferences.

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