Diversification of business activity in rural areas as a risk minimization tool of economic security

Depressive nature of the rural areas development increases the risks of economic security of Ukraine in the space-regional dimension. The diversify economic activity is a strategic tool for min-imization of these risks. The purpose of research is the development of priority areas of the diversi-fication of economic activities in rural areas in the context of minimizing the economic security risks. The methodology of research is formed on the basis of such methods as system analysis, syn-thesis, scientific abstraction, statistical classification, project and organizational method. In the pa-per the correlation between the diversification of economic activities in rural areas and minimiza-tion of economic security risks is analyzed. The author estimates the level of diversification of agri-cultural production. The growth of rural employment, increase of revenues to local budgets, the formation of added value, improvement and development of human capital, reducing human pres-sure on natural ecosystems are considered to be the incentives to promote diversification of eco-nomic activity. The author proposes the priority areas for diversification of economic activities in rural areas, including the development of rural ecotourism, timber and woodwork industry, fishery, services and trade, alternative energy.