Export of Russian agricultural products to Africa: differentiation of flows at the country level

Introduction. African countries continue to face problems in the field of food security, not providing themselves with sufficient amounts of high-quality food. In recent years, exports of Russian agricultural products to Africa have been steadily growing, despite external economic difficulties such as sanctions and logistical problems. The purpose of the research is to identify the degree of differentiation of imports of products of the Russian agro-industrial complex (AIC) by African countries for the period 2013‒2021. Materials and methods. The spatial differentiation of imports was assessed using a modified mosaic index (МMI). The study covers six product categories of the federal project “Export of agricultural products” and uses data from Russia's foreign trade, including information on exports and imports of goods by individual product groups and countries. The results of the study. The stable supply of grain and fat and oil products indicates strong trade relations with traditional partners on the African continent, while the growth in the МMI index of other AIC groups indicates structural changes in Russian export policy aimed at expanding geographical coverage. During the period under review, exports of grain crops increased, while the supply of fat and oil products decreased against the background of grain. Exports of meat products have increased significantly, which confirms the diversification of export flows. The products of the food and processing industry showed volatility. Fish and seafood, mainly supplied to Nigeria, showed improved diversification in 2021. Conclusion. The observed stability of spatial differentiation of supplies indicates the strategic orientation of Russian exports to certain markets, which indicates the consistency of Russia's foreign economic policy and the stability of preferences of Russian exporters on the African continent.