INTERPRETATION OF THE DEFINITION OF “SMALL AGRIBUSINESS”: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

Updating the interpretations of the categories of agribusiness and its small forms is extremely important for the informational support of the management decision-making process and the development of effective state support programs in the domestic agricultural sector. In Ukraine, where agriculture plays a leading role in the structure of the national economy, ensuring both domestic food security and a significant share of export earnings, the issue of clearly defining and classifying agribusiness entities, especially its small forms, is of particular relevance. The existing ambiguity in the interpretation of the key concepts "agribusiness" and "small agribusiness" at the legislative and scientific literature level creates certain obstacles for an effective understanding of the specifics of the functioning of these farms, and also significantly hinders their further sustainable development. The purpose of the presented article is to clarify the substantive content of the basic concepts of "agribusiness" and "small agribusiness", to substantiate the necessity of developing a scientifically sound typology of small agribusiness entities. In the process of conducting the research, a set of general scientific methods was applied, including system analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalization of the obtained data. The results of the conducted research confirmed the undeniable significance of small agribusiness for the national economy, in particular its significant contribution to ensuring a stable level of food security of the country and the formation of a significant export potential of the state. At the same time, significant discrepancies were found in the current definitions and criteria for classifying business entities into the category of small enterprises at the legislative level, which complicates their unambiguous identification and accounting. In this regard, the urgent need to develop a clear and scientifically sound typology of small agribusiness entities using such a key industry-specific criterion as the area of agricultural land in their use was substantiated. Promising directions for further scientific research are proposed, including the definition and typology of small agribusiness, clarification of the relevant categories and identification of current problems and prospects for their development.