State-Run Food Retail Chains as a Tool of Food Security: An Analysis of Existing Practices
摘要
Soaring food prices shows the need for novel solutions that would help to reduce food insecurity. A proposal put forth in Russia calls for launch of a chain of state-run zero-margin stores. The goal of the present research is to analyze the global experience of implementation of state-run food retail chain. Two main types of state-run food stores are identified: managed margin stores and fair price shops. Key distinctive features of both models are described. The paper demonstrates that while the state guarantees access to food it outsources the real function of food distribution to professional providers. Problems of introduction of state-run zero-margin food stores are described and recommendations for their implementation are made.