Globalization came to the ex-Soviet republics of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus quite suddenly at the end of 1991 with the disintegration of the Soviet political and economic system, the opening of these economies to world trade and first efforts toward building market economies. Compared with the sizeable changes brought by the transition in the countries generally, the effects of globalization on food and nutrition security have been surprisingly small.
While agricultural production, livestock inventories and per capita incomes have plunged and then partially recovered over the past 10 years, food consumption in terms of calories has remained comparatively steady and indicators of food inadequacy are quite moderate. For the countries for which information is available, anthropometric and dietary indicators show that the preeminent problems in these countries are not inadequate food intake, but stunting in children, micronutrient deficiencies and a high prevalence of overweight and obesity.
Although globalization has not seriously threatened food security in these countries, it has nevertheless been responsible for changes in food production and consumption that have caused political opposition to further reform. The decline in per capita income and increased reliance on home produced food changed consumption patterns away from meat and dairy products toward potatoes, vegetables and bread.
Though this is perhaps a positive development from the public health point of view, public opinion in these countries, shaped by past Soviet consumption norms, usually does not see it this way. The decline in food production has spurred the agricultural establishment in these countries to be decidedly anti reformist. For this reason, agricultural reform in these three countries has been much more limited than in the Central and East European countries.
