Management of the strategic potential of sustainable development of agri-food enterprises: a systemic perspective

Abstract

The article examines the management of the strategic potential of sustainable development of agri-food enterprises from a systems perspective, which becomes particularly relevant under conditions of global economic instability, wartime risks, and profound transformations of national and global food systems. It is substantiated that ensuring national food security requires a shift from fragmented decision-making focused on individual production factors toward integrated management of the combined capabilities of agri-food enterprises as elements of a broader socio-economic system.

Strategic potential is interpreted as a dynamic and multidimensional system whose effectiveness is determined by the interaction of economic resources, managerial mechanisms, and innovative capacity. A structural-functional decomposition of strategic potential is proposed based on three interrelated vectors: the economic vector, which forms the resource base of development; the managerial vector, which ensures regulatory coherence and strategic coordination; and the innovation vector, which acts as a dynamic catalyst for adaptation and renewal.

Special attention is given to innovation activity as an integrating component of the strategic potential system, enabling the transformation of static resources into sustainable competitive advantages. The study develops a typology of innovative determinants that includes eco-oriented technological innovations, intellectual and digital solutions in the field of AgTech, and socio-organizational innovations aimed at strengthening the resilience of agri-food systems. It is shown that the implementation of these innovations contributes to reducing losses in supply chains, increasing the adaptive capacity of enterprises to external shocks, and stabilizing production cycles under conditions of heightened uncertainty.

The methodological framework of the research is based on a multiplicative model for the integrated assessment of strategic potential, which makes it possible to account for the synergistic effects of interaction among system components as well as the sensitivity of enterprises to external disturbances. The application of this approach allows for the identification of bottlenecks in strategic management and supports the justification of balanced managerial decisions oriented toward long-term sustainability rather than short-term resource accumulation. The results of the study can be applied in the practice of strategic management of agri-food enterprises to align microeconomic development objectives with national food security priorities and to enhance overall economic resilience in a volatile environment.