Food Security in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Conditions of the Customs Union

Background/Objectives: The goal of the paper is to ensure that food security of the Republic of Kazakhstan is one of the most important functions of public authorities. It is realized by state regulation of foreign trade in foodstuff. Modern feature of foodstuff foreign trade regulation in Kazakhstan is that it has to be carried out taking into account the restrictions imposed by the ascension to the Customs Union, the World Trade Organization and formation of the Common Economic Space. The need to consider the specified restrictions determined relevance of the conducted studies, defined their object and the pragmatic purpose. State regulation in the field of ensuring food security of Kazakhstan in the conditions of the Customs Union is accepted as an object of research. Methods/Statistical Analysis: As a forecasting approach, the author uses scenario method, which is a factographic one and is based on extrapolating the development trends into the future. The advantage of using the scenario method of forecasting food security level worldwide is expressed in the ability to clearly formulate and compare different probable or desirable development prospects. The technical tools of developing scenarios forecast of food security level in the study is an artificial neural network, i.e., a mathematical model that represents a system of simple processors (artificial neurons) and connections between them determined by weighting indexes. Findings: As the carried-out analysis has shown, regulation in the field of ensuring food security has to be directed on decrease in dependence of the state on food imports. One of effective instruments of decreasing import dependence of the Republic of Kazakhstan is customs regulation of foodstuff movement through the customs border of the Customs Union. Applications/Improvements: Mode free circulation of goods within the Customs Union will contribute to the expansion of intra-industry trade and industrial and technological cooperation of the participating countries; will create favorable conditions for mutual investment, the formation of cross-border innovation and industrial clusters.