Agrarian Development Research Articles

How to build an agribusiness giant: the role of rural extension services in Brazil during the 20th Century

In this article, we argue that Brazil’s ‘exporting vocation’ is not a natural tendency but the result of national political and economic projects aligned with the international context and external interests. To support this thesis, we reconstructed the trajectory of rural extension services during the 20th century in three distinct phases, according to the official philosophical and pedagogical perspectives adopted in each. Based on extensionist reports and an interdisciplinary bibliographical review, our objective is to present the sociopolitical and economic panorama along with the motivations, general characteristics, and consequences of the extension service in establishing Brazil as an agribusiness giant. We conclude that rural extension services assisted rural and agrarian development that favoured the agrarian elite in the concentration of land, resources, and knowledge. It also consolidated agribusiness as an intensely active political category at all levels of Brazilian government.

Analysis of spatial and temporal characteristics and evolution of green total factor productivity in agriculture in the lower Yellow River basin

The construction of ecological barriers in the Yellow River Basin represents a significant step toward reducing agricultural carbon emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and reaching carbon peaking in China. The diverse agrarian development objectives of various regions within the basin have resulted in a heterogeneous approach to greening agriculture. Therefore, this paper will evaluate the development of carbon sink agriculture across 34 cities and municipalities in the lower Yellow River basin from 2008 to 2021 based on the EBM-GML model, and analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) in each region through the application of the Moran index, kernel density estimation, and spatial Markov chain analysis. The results demonstrate that agricultural carbon emissions in the Lower Yellow River Basin gradually decreased throughout the study period. Furthermore, overall carbon emission efficiency improved, indicating significant potential for further emission reduction. In addition, Agricultural Green Technology Progress (AGTC) has become a primary driver of AGTFP growth, while Agricultural Green Technology Efficiency (AGEC) has demonstrated a gradual upward trend. Locally, most areas are weakly connected and display an isolated development trend. The results of the kernel density analysis demonstrate a notable degree of mobility in the distributional dynamics of AGTFP growth, characterized by a gradual narrowing of the gap between locations. The transfer of (AGTFP) types in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin is stable, with a noticeable “club convergence” phenomenon, while geographical conditions significantly influence the transfer of AGTFP types in this region. Based on long-term trend predictions, the future trajectory of AGTFP in the lower Yellow River Basin appears optimistic and is expected to improve progressively, with the overall distribution tending toward equilibrium.

PARADIGM DEVELOPMENT OF LAND RELATIONS AND HIGH-TECHNOLOGICAL LAND USE

The study substantiates that land resources are a strategic resource, the socio-economic development of society depends on the rationality and efficiency of their use. The economic content of the concept of «land relations» is generalized and it is revealed that they are a component of social relations, arise in the process of interaction of society with natural resources and regulate the norms of behavior of business entities of the agricultural sector of the economy within the framework of land legislation. The basis of land relations is the category of land ownership, therefore changes and development of organizational and legal forms of land ownership are perhaps the most important condition. It is worth noting that land relations in agriculture are part of production relations and can be both stimulating and restraining factors for the rational use of agricultural land and high-tech land use. It was found that land legislation in Ukraine remains fragmentary and often inconsistent between all regulatory acts, and changes to individual regulations and legal mechanisms cause risks for investors and landowners, which creates legal uncertainty and complicates the implementation of the efficiency of land resources use. High-tech land use is a direction of modern agrarian development aimed at increasing the efficiency of agriculture, preserving natural resources and ensuring food security. Systematizing the problems and directions of development of land relations and high-tech land use, it was highlighted that the main priority remains the implementation of the social function of land ownership and land use, which ensures the most efficient land use of land plots for their intended purpose. Thus, the main guidelines of land policy are the stability and effectiveness of the functioning of the system of land relations and agricultural land use, aimed at ensuring the country's food security and increasing the well-being of the population. The development of land relations and high-tech land use should be based on maximum consideration of natural, economic and social conditions and environmental requirements for preserving the environment, protecting land resources and restoring their fertility, increasing the productivity of the land fund, as well as limiting the negative impact of economic activity on flora and fauna, etc.

Fields, Frontiers, and the Making of the Food and Agriculture Organization

ABSTRACT The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), once the overlooked stepchild of post-war global governance, is now at the centre of attention among historians, parsing the key figures, central policies, and ongoing challenges across the FAO’s embattled life-time. However, to date, there has been little engagement with the material, territorial and ecological preconditions that required the construction of global food governance in the first place. The present article contributes to FAO scholarship via a more grounded historical sociology of agriculture and international (dis)order. To do so, I frame the evolution of the modern ‘global countryside’ through four distinct yet inter-locking frontiers: territory, commodity, technology, institutions. In using the case of US state-formation as a springboard, I argue that the contradictory entanglement of territorial and commodity frontiers during the settler-colonial period led to a collective anxiety about US (and global) agrarian development, which called forth ever-more innovative solutions through the expansion of technological and institutional frontiers. This spiral of emergence, entanglement, crisis, and resolution culminated in the first post-war conference on international cooperation, and the eventual consecration of the FAO. Yet the contradictions of the post-war international system – at once deeply inter-dependent yet radically hierarchical – ultimately doomed the hopes for a more cooperative global food order. A more critical approach to the making of the FAO thus offers important lessons on the current dilemmas facing today’s global food system.

Bioeconomics in Agribusiness: Trends and Opportunities of Business Through the Use of Biotechnologies

Objective: Its main objective is to identify trends and business opportunities in the agribusiness sector through the use of biotechnologies, from the perspective of the bioeconomy. In addition, it has as its specific objective to show the bioproducts already existing on the market and what are the main obstacles for the adoption of the use of biotechnology by agribusiness. Theoretical Reference: In this topic, the main concepts and authors on bioeconomy, bieconomy in Brazil and bioeconomy of agribusiness are presented. Method: 11 interviews were conducted with researchers, businessmen and public servants from institutions such as Embrapa (Ceará and Amazônia poles), Renorbio, Ceará's Secretariat for Science and Technology and the State of Ceará's Secretariat for Agrarian Development. Results and Discussion: The results of the research show that there are various products and practices of agribusiness that involve biotechnology, such as the use of organic waste for the emergence of other products, what the interviewees called added value, innovative products such as cashew burgers, probiotic and prebiotic juices, bioadhesives and bioplastics, water reuse, among others. However, for the emergence of these products and practices, there are several obstacles such as prejudice with the use of technologies, lack of a regulatory framework, lack of public and private incentives, lack of public policies, lack of investments in research, among others. Originality/Value: the importance of the agribusiness sector for the country's economy, the business opportunities presented, sustainable practices, consumer behavior, among others, is highlighted.

Public Policies, Sustainable Purchases and Family Farming in Brazil – 2013 a 2023

Objectives: to characterize and analyze the public policies and sustainable purchases that contribute to reducing environmental impacts and promote the development of family farming. In order to address the general objective of the research, the following specific objectives were carried out: 1) Contextualize family farming in Brazil; 2) Present and analyze the following public policies focused on family farming: Low Carbon Agriculture - ABC Plan, National Program for Strengthening Family Farming - PRONAF, Food Acquisition Program - PAA and National School Feeding Program - PNAE and 3) discuss the process of sustainable bidding and family farming. Methodology and data sources: the methodology used to achieve the study's objectives was tabular and graphical analysis of secondary data. The data sources were collected from the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA), the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) through the Rural Credit Matrix, the National Supply Company (CONAB), the National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE) and data from the National Secretariat for Rural Social and Productive Inclusion (SEISP) through the Secretariat for Evaluation, Information Management and Single Registry (SAGICAD) platform. In addition, exploratory research was carried out using a bibliographic survey to support the results found. The period of analysis was from 2013 to 2023. Results: It is important to consider that the public policies mentioned above contribute to aligning economic, social and environmental aspects. Based on the evidence obtained, the programs proved to be effective in their aim of supporting family farming. Therefore, in order to continue their actions, it is recommended that the main characteristics of their design be maintained, which have been fundamental to achieving their results and, above all, that resources for their actions be expanded and guaranteed.

Decolonisation agriculture: challenging colonisation through the reconstruction of agriculture in Western Kurdistan (Rojava)

This article examines the colonial homogenising policies of the Syrian Ba’ath regime and the subsequent decolonisation processes that led to the emergence of Rojava as a pluriverse. In 1963, the Ba’ath regime implemented nation-state colonialism in the predominantly Kurdish region, using agricultural modernisation as a tool for its colonisation efforts. This modernisation bolstered the central state, perpetuated the underdevelopment of the region as a periphery, and asserted control through the settlement and distribution of land to Arab families loyal to the regime. Following the regime’s collapse in Rojava in 2012, the communities that comprise the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) dismantled the colonial agricultural system. They developed a decentralised governance and agrarian development approach, referred to here as the decolonisation of agriculture. Based on interviews and fieldwork in the region, this article explores the interplay between agricultural development and colonial politics, as well as the critical role of agriculture in the broader struggle for decolonisation. We conclude that in the anti-colonial struggle, people and the rhizomatic governance structures they develop challenge colonial submission to the central state, exploring life beyond the nation-state, which is crucial for a decolonial shift.

Quantum Simulations and Experimental Insights into Glyphosate Adsorption Using Graphene-Based Nanomaterials.

The increasing global demand for food and agrarian development brings to light a dual issue concerning the use of substances that are crucial for increasing productivity yet can be harmful to human health and the environment when misused. Herein, we combine insights from high-level quantum simulations and experimental findings to elucidate the fundamental physicochemical mechanisms behind developing graphene-based nanomaterials for the adsorption of emerging contaminants, with a specific focus on pesticide glyphosate (GLY). We conducted a comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation of graphene-based supports as promising candidates for detecting, sensing, capturing, and removing GLY applications. By combining ab initio molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations, we explored several chemical environments encountered by GLY during its interaction with graphene-based substrates, including pristine and punctual defect regions. Our results unveiled distinct interaction behaviors: physisorption in pristine and doped graphene regions, chemisorption leading to molecular dissociation in vacancy-type defect regions, and complex transformations involving the capture of N and O atoms from impurity-adsorbed graphene, resulting in the formation of new GLY-derived compounds. The theoretical findings were substantiated by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, which proposed a mechanism explaining GLY adsorption in graphene-based nanomaterials. The comprehensive evaluation of adsorption energies and associated properties provides valuable insights into the intricate nature of these interactions, shedding light on potential applications and guiding future experimental investigations of graphene-based nanofilters for water decontamination.

Book review: Peter Robb, Agrarian Development in Colonial India: The British and Bihar

Book review: Peter Robb, Agrarian Development in Colonial India: The British and Bihar

Water Quality from Natural Sources for Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategies: Galapagos, Ecuador

Water is an essential element for agricultural sustainability. In volcanic islands, freshwater sources are limited, challenging the local farming water supply. Rainfall dependence in the Galapagos Islands limits continuous agriculture, and despite using natural water sources, their irrigation quality is little known. This study aimed to carry out a control–diagnosis of irrigation water quality of the natural sources of the four agrarian islands of the Galapagos, considering water quality parameters for the proposal of sustainability strategies in the water and agricultural context. The workflow included (i) freshwater supply situation diagnosis, (ii) physicochemical parameters measurement and hydrochemical characterisation, and (iii) irrigation analysis and sustainability strategies configuration. Results indicated that of the 34 sources analysed, 55.88% are suitable for irrigation and are located in San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. The remaining 44.12% showed problems with parameters such as faecal coliforms, salinity, metals, carbonates, BOD5, and COD above the national permitted limits. Six strategies for water and agricultural sustainability are proposed, including periodic water monitoring, academy–government–community projects, community water board creation, water sowing and harvesting systems, effective management of effluent, and agricultural strengthening. The study guides comprehensive hydric management initiatives to benefit agrarian development and food security, aligning with SDGs 2 and 6.

Emergence of Contract Farming in India: An Overview

Emergence of Contract Farming in India: An Overview

Assessment and Mapping of Soil Fertility Status of Migna Kura Kebele, Wayu Tuka District, East Wollega, Oromia, Ethiopia

Soil fertility decline is a significant obstacle to Ethiopia's increased food production, but information on current soil fertility status among the study areas is inadequate. Accurate soil fertility data is crucial for implementing effective strategies and developing targeted interventions to improve agricultural productivity and food security in Ethiopia. This study was initiated in this context with the aim of mapping the spatial distribution of specific soil parameters and assessing the status of soil fertility in Migna Kura Kebele, Wayu Tuka District, East Wollega, Ethiopia, providing crucial information for agrarian development. A total of 32 samples of surface soil were drawn at Stratifying random for laboratory analysis in 2019 G.C. Maps of soil fertility status were created using ArcGIS 10.4.1 and the common Kriging interpolation technique. Clay loam and clay are the two types of soil in the research study area. The bulk density of the soil ranged from 1.13 to 1.46 g/cm3, while the total porosity ranged from 42.57 to 55.15%. The pH of the soil can range from 6.7, which is slightly acidic, to 4.91, which is strongly acidic. The range of soil exchangeable acidity levels was 0 to 2.46 cmol (+) kg-1, while the range of OC values was medium (1.79% to 3.51%). Soil total N and available P values were between very low and low (0.19 to 1.11%) and 6.71 to 13.44 mg kg-1, respectively. Exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Na levels in the soil ranged from 6.93 to 51.15, 2.85 to 23.63, 0.21 to 1.76, and 0.05 to 0.71 cmol (+) kg-1, respectively, while a medium to very high degree of CEC (22.19 to 77.42 cmol (+) kg-1) was observed. A moderate to very high rating was assigned to soil PBS, which ranged from 42.13 to 98.30%. Micro nutrients; Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn extractable from soil by DTPA ranged in value from 12.07 to 33.51 mg kg-1, 16.02 to 48.26 mg kg-1, 0.18 to 0.62 mg kg-1, and 0.19 to 0.62 mg kg-1, respectively. The soil fertility map was created for the following parameters: pH, OC, total N, available (P, S), CEC, PBS, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Mn; Cu, Zn, and B. According to the study's findings, the study area's soils were found to be deficient in six nutrients that limit yields: N, P, K, S, B, and Zn. he soil in the study area is affected by soil acidity; for sustainable crop production in the study area, soils should be amended with lime, organic matter, and fertilizers of N, P, S, K, B, and Zn.

The Development of Recognition and Protection of the Customary Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Indonesia

indigenous people of Indonesia occasionally experience changes to their customary rights. The Dutch East Indies government has had exclusive jurisdiction over the communities with customary law since the time of Dutch colonial rule. Following Indonesia’s independence, Agrarian development saw quite radical transformations, including the establishment of ulayat rights for communities governed by customary law. A groundbreaking law, known as Law No. 5 of 1960 addressing Basic Agrarian Regulations, was created in 1960. Ulayat rights are acknowledged for existing and being put into practice. This essay examines Indonesia’s legal community’ growing acceptance of customary rights. This kind of research refers to the norms found in statutory rules and is normative in nature because it is based on primary and secondary legal materials. The study’s findings demonstrate that for communities governed by customary law or indigenous peoples who have lost their traditional territory, recognition does not always ensure justice. The defense of their customary rights cannot be made based on government rules and legislation.
 Keywords: recognition, protection, indigenous people, Indonesia

ВСЕУКРАЇНСЬКА НАУКОВО-ПРАКТИЧНА КОНФЕРЕНЦІЯ «КОНЦЕПТ ПРИРОДИ В СУЧАСНОМУ ПРАВІ»: НАУКОВО-МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ПИТАННЯ РОЗВИТКУ ЕКОЛОГІЧНОГО, ЗЕМЕЛЬНОГО, АГРАРНОГО ТА ІНШИХ ГАЛУЗЕЙ ПРАВА», ПРИСВЯЧЕНА СВІТЛІЙ ПАМ’ЯТІ ПРОФЕСОРКИ М. В. КРАСНОВОЇ

Background. The article reviews the speeches of the participants of the All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Online Conference on the Topic "The Concept of Nature in Modern Law", dedicated to the bright memory of Doctor of Law, professor, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, head, professor of the Department of Environmental Law of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Maria Vasylivna Krasnova. The event was organized and held by the Departments of Environmental, Land and Agrarian law of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on May 26, 2023. The purpose of the article is to perpetuate the memory of Prof. M. V. Krasnova, highlighting doctrinal and legislative approaches to the moulding and further development of environmental, land, agrarian and other fields of law, united by the scientific idea of "The Concept of Nature in Modern Law". Among the main tasks of the publication were consideration of proposals made by the participants of the conference on improving the current legislation, development the methodology of environmental, land and agrarian legal research, deepening the theory, and philosophy of law. Methods. The methodological basis of the research was the general scientific dialectical method of learning about social phenomena in their relationship and development, as well as scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, interpretation of legal norms, formal-legal, historical, comparative-legal, prognostic, etc. methods. Results. The participants of the conference focused their efforts on solving actual scientific and methodological problems of environmental, land, agrarian and other fields of law in the context of overcoming the consequences of large-scale Russian aggression on the territory of our country, transition to peaceful reconstruction in the future. Proposals for the improvement of environmental, land, agrarian and other branches of law, legislation, science and law enforcement practice in Ukraine through the prism of implementing the concept of nature in law have been expressed. The idea of combining the implementation of the concept of sustainable development into the legal system of Ukraine with the understanding of nature as an object of law through the set of its economic, ecological and spiritual attributes was laid in the foundation of this concept in the studies of Prof. M. V. Krasnova. Conclusions. Comprehension of the content and tools of legal regulation of social relations must be carried out on the basis of ecocentrism with the aim of forming a new level of ecological and legal culture of society and citizens, minimization the negative consequences of military actions and the effects of environmental state of emergency on the territory of our country, developing Ukraine as an ecological state. "The Concept of Nature in Law" is an original scientific idea, which is examined through the prism of the philosophy of law and is based upon the concept of sustainable development, since it determines the actual chance of emphasis from Man to Nature.

Кризис на Шри-Ланке: долгая тень неоколониализма

The article is devoted to the study of the causes of the economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka (2019 – present) through the prism of the complex approach based on the post-colonial research paradigm. The author considers the three most affected sectors of the economy of Sri Lanka: agriculture, the textile and apparel industry and tourism. All of them in their present form are products of the modern era, formed under the influence of colonial and neo-colonial practices and provided Sri Lanka with a specific place in the world economic system as a producer of plantation crops (primarily tea), textiles of the upper price segment and tourism services, focused on the EU and the US population. During the pandemic, the orientation on the Western market, aggravated by the voluntaristic actions of the country’s leading the Rajapaksa clan, led to the collapse of key sectors of the Sri Lankan economy. Particular attention is paid to the agrarian sector. The author believes that the current disparities in the agrarian development of Sri Lanka are the result of the colonial past. The issue of mending these imbalances was politicized during the civil war (1983–2009), and as a way out, the concept of developing organic farming, itself a product of Western cultural hegemony, was proposed. The author notes that instead of admitting partial responsibility for the crisis, the Western media are inclined to blame China for Sri Lanka’s problems. The PRC is believed to have deliberately driven the island into a debt trap. It is assumed that developing countries should solve the problems of Sri Lanka, while it is clear that Western countries will derive the main benefit from the recovery of its economy and return to world production chains.

УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНИМ РОЗВИТКОМ АГРОПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ СФЕРИ В УМОВАХ АКТИВІЗАЦІЇ ЗЕД ТА ПОСИЛЕННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНОСТІ БІЗНЕСУ

The improvement of state regulation by the development of the agri-food sector in the conditions of the activation of economic activity and the strengthening of social responsibility of business should be carried out in the context of the ties "state authorities - professional associations of agrarian business entities" at the state and regional levels. The construction of an effective system of coordination of the interests of agrarian subjects is defined as the first priority of the state agrarian policy. After all, the role of the state is to create such a mechanism that allows to ensure the maximum level of self-organization of the agro-food sector within the national economy as a set of interconnected components. The construction of a balanced system of regulation of the development of the agro-food sector allows to ensure its activation through the conclusion of institutional agreements within the proposed structure, which defines the criteria for state intervention, the mutual responsibility of organizations managing socio-economic development and the limits of interdependence of the state's actions with social mechanisms and entities. The conclusion of the proposed institutional agreement should be preceded by a number of measures aimed at the formation of self-sufficient organizations - participants of the proposed structure: activation of the development of selforganization of economic entities; formation of the organizational structure of management of agrarian development, which also includes associations of agrarians; improvement of legislative acts in the direction of liberalization of the activities of self-governing organizations, associations of agrarian subjects in particular. The formation of a clear system of mutual relations is an important step on the way to improving the mechanism of socio-economic development of the agro-food sector, which will maximally take into account the interests of all subjects of agrarian relations. Such an institutional compromise will contribute to: increasing the social and economic responsibility of the state and agrarian business entities; the formation of institutional ties in the system of state regulation of the development of the agro-food sector; avoiding institutional traps caused by the opportunistic behavior of subjects of agrarian management; consolidation of efforts in the direction of achieving priorities for the development of the agro-food sector. Improvement at the "state-region" level of management vertical connections is expedient to ensure the granting of greater autonomy to the regional management of agro-industrial development, in particular in terms of the distribution of agrarian resources and the application of management approaches to the formation of an environment for the development of the agro-food sector. In this regard, it is worth turning to foreign experience of regional development and creating agencies for regional development of the agro-food sector under the executive authorities. To ensure a high level of transparency, it is advisable to entrust these powers to public organizations created at the initiative of state and local authorities.

Голод 1921–1922 гг. в Уральской губернии: причины и последствия

Introduction. The study analyzes a variety of newly discovered archival documents and materials for a comprehensive insight into the 1921–1922 mass famine in Uralsk Governorate. To facilitate this, the paper shall examine the causes, mitigation measures, and consequences of the famine in the designated region of present-day Kazakhstan. Materials. So, the study focuses on related documents from the State Archive of West Kazakhstan Region that have never been introduced into scientific discourse and received only fragmented attention. Results. The work provides a historiographic review on the topic under consideration, while some key research results are based on analytical insights into the archival papers. Our narrative centers around the causes and socio-demographic consequences, conditions of livestock breeding and agrarian industries, famine mitigation measures. Statistical data contained in the reports of governorate-level commissions prove most instrumental in evaluating the 1921–1922 famine’s scale and tracing negative socioeconomic dynamics. Conclusions. Uralsk Governorate happened to be a most famine-affected region of Kazakhstan, which was dramatically preceded (and paralleled) by harsh natural and climatic conditions, such as drought, crop failure, zud (jut), and livestock reduction. These were aggravated by poor agrarian development of the region and reduction of cultivated areas — only to be face the early twentieth century political cataclysms (e.g., Russian Civil War, increase of taxation, etc.). The famine’s consequences included increased mortality rates, population decline, dramatic fall of living standards, and large numbers of orphans and homeless children.

Resilience of agricultural development in China's major grain-producing areas under the double security goals of "grain ecology".

The development of agriculture faces uncertainties due to global climate variability and the scarcity of agricultural resources. Enhancing agricultural development resilience is essential for improving agriculture's adaptability to the external environment and ensuring food security. It is imperative to prevent and control agricultural pollution as it worsens. Thus, enhancing the resilience of agricultural development requires balancing food security and ecological security. The present study constructs an evaluation system for agricultural development resilience in China with three levels: resistance, resilience, and reengineering ability. The agricultural development resilience of China's main grain-producing areas is evaluated using the entropy method, and regional differences are analyzed using kernel density estimation and the Theil index. The obstacle model was used to identify and analyze the obstacles that affect agricultural development's resilience to propose countermeasures. The results showed that (1) agricultural development resilience in China's main grain-producing areas has steadily increased from 0.317 to 0.427. The resilience of agrarian development in Heilongjiang, Shandong, and Henan provinces ranges from 0.473 to 0.575, which is far higher than the mean development level; (2) Regional differences in the main grain-producing areas are narrowing from 0.077 to 0.023; (3) The main grain-producing areas share common obstacle factors, emphasizing the critical role of technological innovation, investment, and machine-cultivated land resources in enhancing agricultural resilience against external risks. Paying attention to the amount of fertilizer usage is crucial to achieving ecological security goals.

Palaeoenvironmental changes in eastern Crimea over the last 7600 years inferred from a multi-proxy study of a sediment archive from Lake Chokrak

The study presents a multi-proxy archive from hypersaline coastal Lake Chokrak in eastern Crimea, a steppe region which is particularly susceptible to moisture fluctuations. XRF, organic carbon and nitrogen, and palynological analyses are used to reconstruct the evolution of the lake and landscape development around it and to provide information about the driving forces behind those changes, such as climate and human impact. The findings show that the basin was an open marine bay between 7640 and 5500 cal. yr BP. After 5500 cal. yr BP, the low rates of sea-level rise led to gradual infilling of the basin. The prevalence of mesic herb-grass steppe around the site, as well as the expansion of broad-leaved trees in the Crimean mountains, indicate relatively warm and humid climate conditions during the Mid-Holocene. Elemental proxies and marine NPPs point to a transition to lagoonal conditions from 4270 cal. yr BP. The progressive shallowing of the basin was accompanied by the spread of more xeric Artemisia-grass steppe, which suggests a shift to arid conditions. The occurrence of cereal pollen from 3660 cal. yr BP may indicate the first signs of cultivation in the study area. The active build-up of a sand barrier from 3000 cal. yr BP led to a gradual separation of the basin from the sea. By 900 cal. yr BP, the fully-formed sand barrier resulted in a transformation of the lagoon into a hypersaline lake. The closing of the lagoon was accompanied by an expansion of halophytic communities around the site. Human-induced vegetation changes became more pronounced with the development of agrarian and pastoral activities around the site from ca. 750 cal. yr BP.

Применение метода районирования при оценке туристско-рекреационного потенциала сельских территорий Новосибирской области

The article deals with the methodology of assessing the development of rural tourism in the region based on the application of the zoning method. The article is devoted to the study of key problems of rural tourism development in modern realities, taking into account the existing limitations and outlines the prospects for the implementation of this type of tourism in the Novosibirsk region. The authors critically analyze the scientific works of domestic scientists devoted to the development of agrarian (rural) tourism. 
 In the process of research, the author’s method of assessment of tourist and recreational potential of the Novosibirsk region was developed, criteria for calculating the potential of priority components of the tourist infrastructure were selected, the opportunities for the development of agrarian (rural) tourism were assessed with the selection of the most promising administrative-territorial (municipal) districts of the Novosibirsk region. The article is intended for managers of tourist business, students, any interested users.