PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF FOOD PRODUCTS: CONTEMPORARY DINENSIONS AND ISSUE

Abstract

One of the sources for the formation of Bulgaria's food resources is the production of food products from agriculture and the food industry. It provides raw materials for the processing industry, for export and for meeting the food needs of society. The extent to which national production can meet these needs in terms of quantity, quality and range largely determines national food security. The level and structure of food consumption is in turn important for the health status of both the individual and the nation as a whole. In recent years, the production and consumption of food products in the country have been evolving in a complex and dynamically changing environment, linked to challenges posed by overlapping crises (pandemic, economic). The aim of this paper is to examine the production and consumption of staple food products in the context of national food security and in the context of crises. For its realization, changes in the parameters of their production and consumption are consistently assessed, problems are highlighted on this basis and recommendations for their future development are substantiated. Special attention is paid to the competitiveness and sustainable development of Bulgarian agriculture as an important prerequisite for the country's food security.

Keywords

• agricultural production
• food consumption
• national food security