The paper discusses current issues related to the definition of state regulation of the agro-industrial complex, overcoming the disparity between prices and incomes, and ensuring food security. It shows that existing approaches do not sufficiently take into account the comprehensive influence of the state, social protection of the rural population, digitalization, and regional orientation, which allowed the author to develop a multi-level regulatory model that combines direct, indirect, and mediated (institutional and organizational-economic) mechanisms.