The analysis of the declared agricultural land and ecological farming situated in the Krekenava regional park (RP), which is situated in the Middle Lithuania, is presented in the article. The Naujamiestis subdistrict was chosen for the comparison of the use of agricultural lands and ecological farming in the regional park. In 2011, the total agricultural land and crop area declared in the Krekenava Regional Park was 8184.19 ha, i.e. by 317.89 ha or 3.74 percent less than in 2009. 371 family farms were declared, i.e. by 53 farms less in comparison with 2009. In 2009, the declared area of agricultural lands in Naujamiestis subdistrict covered 9877.66 ha and it made up 63.32 percent of the total subdistrict’s area. 359 farmers introduced declarations. The average area of the declared farms was 27.51 ha. In 2011, the declared area of the agricultural lands was 9851.33 ha i.e. smaller than 26.33 ha or 0.27 percent less than in 2009. The number of declared farmers in 2011 was 329, i.e. by 30 farms or 9.12 percent less than in 2009. Ecological farming is relevant to protected areas. The article analyzes the Krekenava RP and Naujamiestis subdistrict’s farms applying ecological farming tools. The analysis of the 2009- 2011 period showed that the declared areas in Krekenava RP have decreased, and the area of farms applying organic measures has increased by 81.69 hectares (nearly 2.5 times). The number of farmers applying organic farming measures in Naujamiestis subdistrict has increased twice and 12 farms i.e., 3.63 per cent of the declared ones had organic farms in 2011, the analyzed area was increased by 581.55 hectares or 3 times.

For many centuries land relations in the territories of Latvia and Russia have been developed by different influences of different foreign forces. The comparison of orientation and dynamics of the land reform in countries with similar initial parameters allowed analyzing the impact of changes in property relations on activities of farms, their productivity, involved costs and the benefits. The main conclusion is that the land reforms in Latvia and in Russia were not the main objective of agricultural land use saving and development of agricultural enterprises.

The problem of abandoned agricultural land is relevant in Lithuania, particularly in the territories where poor soils are dominant. The aim of this research is to analyze the statistics of abandoned land in poor soil regions by different estimation methods. The abandoned land was registered for the purposes of the research. Areas might be determined by using statistical data and by applying the results of a distant research method. The initially obtained data showed large differences among the areas of abandoned land determined by different calculation methods, and this might cause a lot of problems, in particular when clarifying the validity of the land taxation. Therefore the initial data of the research concerning abandoned land should be essentially revised. The results of abandoned land accounting and evaluation (inventory) in each territory should be checked and confirmed by the committee of qualified specialists. The reasons of abandonment should be determined for each land plot, and further use of the plot should be determined. Plots of abandoned agricultural land should be estimated for each parcel of the private land and registered in the cadastre data as additional information for estimation of the land tax.

The latest land reform in Latvia has substantially altered the structure of use of farmland leading to a great number of very small and fragmented agricultural holdings, yet, in terms of occupied total area and UAA, medium size (10.0-50.0 ha) and slightly larger (more than 50.0 ha) land holdings dominate. In Latvia the number of agricultural holdings tends to decline. On the contrary, the average UAA per agricultural holding rose (by 66%), reaching 23.2 ha in 2010. One can conclude that positive structural changes take place in the agricultural industry – the number of small farms has declined and the number of and the area farmed by large marketoriented farms has risen, thus the difference between the sizes of land holdings that emerged during the land reform and the land areas farmed by agricultural holdings has increased.

Peculiarities of farming land usage in southern Lithuania are analyzed in the article. The analysis of archival data and cartographical material reflecting the structure of farming land in Marijampolė, Šakiai, Kazlų Rūda, Alytus, Lazdijai and Vilkaviškis municipalities was accomplished. Information was taken from yearbooks and archives of public institutions of the Republic of Lithuania and other sources as well. It was determined after analysis of collected information that usage and location of cultivated land greatly depend on the land’s productivity. The largest amount of undeclared farming land is in the districts where the land less favourable for farming is dominant. The analysis of the period of last 10 years has shown that the area of farming land decreased by 753 ha in Lazdijai district and by 194 ha in Vilkaviškis district, but increased by 5.5 ha in Alytus district on average per annum.

The main reason of land fragmentation in Latvia was the restitution of ownership rights to former landowners or their heirs, as well as the land acquisition by other persons in the process of the land reform. As a result the ownership structure was obtained which is not competitive in the aspect of production efficiency. Different instruments as land consolidation, land reallotment and others can be applied for the reduction of land fragmentation. The reduction of land fragmentation should play an essential role in the use of the land corresponding to the spatial development plans which determines perspective land use. Therefore the improvement of the ownership structure should be one of the stages of land use planning.

It is substantiated that the institutional concepts of the latest institutional and behavioural economic theory should be placed in the methodological basis of the development of the institutional environment of the land management system. Institutions and institutes are the key to understanding the relationships between all subjects of the economic system of land management, and institutional changes determine the direction of its development and are a defining trend today. The institutional system in the field of land relations, land use and land management is a set of organically interconnected institutions and institutes that are a certain logically complete, integral unity, capable of self-development and self-reproduction, as well as organizations and individuals that act within given institutional restrictions regarding land relations and organization of land use. Firstly, the methodology of institutionalization of land management considers socio-economic systems through holistic development. The principle of the integrity of the socio-economic system research includes an interdisciplinary approach. Secondly, individuals receive characteristics through the prism of the existence of institutions and institutes that condition their behaviour and interaction. Thirdly, institutional changes require not only quantitative, but also qualitative methods of observation, which analyse not the results of changes (for example, indicators of efficiency and growth), but the direction, strategy and the very process of evolution with the clarification of the causes, all stages and forms of transformations.

This study aims to develop a methodology for determining and calculating the limit size of agricultural land plots that can be leased by individuals and legal entities of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The article substantiates agricultural production after the current long-term lease terms end. The basic condition is the formation of land use, in which there is a close dependence on conditions and factors of production, where land, material resources, and labour are in certain proportions and balanced. The main criteria for determining the limiting sizes of land are: land area, leased to a single entity should not exceed 1/3 of the area of farmland rural district specific administrative area, and the physical person no more than 15% of the area of agricultural enterprises of the same specialization. Emerging land uses should be subject to zonal specialization by natural and agricultural zoning; take into account the minimum thresholds for the area of crop rotation in the crop production sectors and the size of livestock in herds of different types of livestock by the breed composition in the livestock industry.

Climate change threatens crop yields through changes in temperature, precipitation, and more significant changes in weather conditions. Thus, it is important to monitor the potential impact of changing weather parameters on crop yields in order to adapt to climate change. Ukraine is of particular interest in this regard, as this country is an important player in the world grain market due to its large area of agricultural land. Historical climate data already indicate an increase in temperature in Ukraine, and climate forecasts show a further increase in temperature, especially in the South of Ukraine. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to determine the impact of climate change on agricultural land use in Ukraine. The global trends of climate change, which is one of the most urgent threats with a long-term negative impact on the population, the environment and the economy, have been studied. The impact of global climate change on land resources, agriculture, forestry, water resources, energy, infrastructure, biodiversity, public health, emergency situations is analysed. The article describes the most noticeable manifestations of global climate changes on the territory of Ukraine, researches and summarizes their consequences on agricultural land use. The potential impact of climate change on the yield of major agricultural crops and possible economic losses are analysed. The article summarizes the results of studies of the dynamics of changes in climate indicators (air temperature and precipitation), the main consequences and risks of climate change for the agricultural sector of Ukraine are given.

The pre-war state of land resources in most of Ukraine was characterized as strained, and sometimes critical, with a tendency to deteriorate, which significantly complicated the socio-economic development of Ukraine and its regions and negatively affected the landscape and biological diversity, health and living conditions of the population. The article examines topical issues of problems and prospects for the use of land resources of Ukraine in the conditions of martial law and post-war reconstruction. As a result of Russia’s military aggression, Ukraine faced mass shelling, missile strikes, radiation contamination, air pollution, littering of territories, unburied or chaotically buried bodies of the dead, mining and other challenges. This has led to aggravation of economic, environmental and social challenges of food supply both in Ukraine and in the world. In connection with military actions, the land resources of Ukraine are subjected to large-scale destruction, deterioration of the soil quality, degradation processes are intensified, land resources are damaged, owners and land users suffer material losses. Agricultural lands suffered two significant types of damage – mine contamination, both on the frontline and in occupied (or formerly occupied) territories, and direct physical damage, from contamination by mines and unexploded ordnance. As of March 20, 2022, the area of damaged soil cover was 6,582.0 hectares, out of 1,655,845.3 hectares of surveyed arable land. For rational use and protection of land, restoration of soils and improvement of their fertility, preservation of productive, ecological and social functions of soil cover, the following important measures should be implemented: actualization of scientific research on the restoration of degraded soils, in particular in the direction of studying the impact of armed aggression of the Russian Federation on the soil cover of Ukraine; determination of the current state of soil health; improvement of the methodology for determining the amount of damage and losses to land and soil resources caused by armed aggression; development and pilot implementation of rehabilitation technologies for war-damaged soils.