Foreign direct investment as an agent of change in Russian agrifood business – consequences of the export of chain management concepts by foreign investors

The internationalisation of food retailing and manufacturing that has swept through the agrifood system in industrialised countries is now moving into Russia. When retailers as well as processors enter a new country they face the challenge to build up their procurement and distribution systems. In this way modern management concepts are exported. This article analyses the influence of FDI on Russian agrifood business. First, we outline the features of Russian agrifood business describing the current situation. Second, we discuss FDI in Russian agrifood business. Third, we elaborate on the influence of FDI on Russian agrifood business at different stages (agricultural producers, food processing, food retailing including the fast food sector). We further discuss the future prospects of the Russian food sector.