The article analyzes the current state of the Russian market of vegetables and fruitsas the most important segment of the food market, its dependence on imports, and the prospects for development in the context of modern globalization. The processes of globalization have an ambiguous impact on the world market of fruit and vegetable products, in particular on the formation of factors and trends in its development in modern conditions. As part of the globalization of international trade in food, including vegetables and fruits, there is an increasingly close interaction between the elements of the world food system and the strengthening of their mutual influence. All these aspects affect Russia’s interests in this market. The authors analyze: the dynamics of imports of vegetables and fruits both in value and in physical volume; the geographical structure of imports and the quality of the goods supplied by the main exporters; the influence of internal and external factors that affect domestic market of fruits and vegetables, their impact on the share of these products in the food basket of Russian citizens; the increasing importance of food security of the country in the terms of sanctions policy; the necessity and challenges of import substitution. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.