Abstract
The article considers categories of development level and sustainability on the exampleof agro-industrial complex and rural areas. The triple bottom line audit approach and the methodsfor assessing sustainable development based on identical performance indicators are shown. Thearticle presents the experience of the European Union countries and member states of the EurasianEconomic Union in implementing state support programs for agriculture and rural areas, on thebasis of which two approaches to managing these development programs are identified.The study is applied by nature and contains analysis results of indicators, describing trendsof sustainable development for agro-industrial complex and rural areas on the example of theAlmaty region for years. The identified trends demonstrate that agriculture development is apriority for sustainable rural development and rural cluster formation of the region. The necessityof transforming the approach to developing and implementing state programs in the given areastowards coordinated public administration has been confirmed. We have proposed to includetarget indicators and cross-cutting measures for rural development in the “State DevelopmentProgram of Agro-Industrial Complex in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2022-2027” with the aimof their subsequent reflection in regional development programs