Sustainable development of organic agriculture: Strategies of Russia and its regions in context of the application of digital economy technologies

Abstract

This paper analyzes the potential of organic agriculture to meet effectively the increasing demand for high-quality food, to increase its export potential, and to solve the country’s import substitution problems. The article also reveals the importance of digital economy technologies for increasing the sustainability of organic production. Among the most significant are cloud computing and large databases that contribute to the development of precision farming, continuous online monitoring of the quality of various stages in technological chains, automation and robotization, etc. Following recommendations of the “Organic Agriculture 3.0” conception, the authors examine the appropriate environmental, economic, social, and institutional factors to elaborate complex development strategies for agriculture in Russia and its regions. A special environmental index is proposed to determine environmentally friendly regions that are mostly suitable for organic production. The authors discuss an economic indicator to assess the potential of unused agricultural land for organic farming. The proportion of unemployed working-age population in rural areas serves as a social indicator for the study. By analyzing these selected indicators, four groups of Russian regions with different conditions for developing organic agriculture are identified. With respect to varying potentials of the regions and the external institutional context, the authors qualify different regional competitive strategies and corresponding product niches. The study also provides guidelines for Russian agrarian and environmental policy to support effective development of organic production.