Current status and optimization pathways for agricultural land use in Asian Russia

The relevance of the study is determined by systemic problems in land use and the need to ensure the country's food security. The research focuses on the agricultural lands of five federal subjects in Asian Russia: Republic of Tuva, Republic of Buryatia, Tyumen Oblast, Novosibirsk Oblast, and Khabarovsk Krai. The aim is to identify the key reasons for the withdrawal of land from agricultural use and to develop measures for optimizing its utilization. The study employed methods of comparative and statistical analysis of state land registry and monitoring data for the period 2021-2025. The results revealed a significant variation in the proportion of unused land, ranging from 3.07% in the Republic of Tuva to 24-30% in the other studied regions. Environmental challenges in agriculture are intensifying under current conditions. Advances in biological and chemical processes have significantly expanded the possibilities for agricultural activity. This has led to an increase in geo-ecological problems: aridity, flooding, soil salinization, waterlogging, permafrost, desertification, dust storm formation, mudflows, wildfires, etc. It was established that the primary reasons are natural and climatic constraints (droughts, waterlogging, permafrost), organizational and economic factors (low profitability, machinery shortages), the consequences of the 1990s land reform, and imperfections in the legislative framework. Key proposed measures include: improving the monitoring system, developing land reclamation, providing economic incentives for agricultural producers, conducting a land inventory, and strengthening liability for the misuse of land. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that its conclusions can be used by state and municipal authorities to develop targeted programs for bringing abandoned lands back into economic circulation and enhancing the efficiency of the macro-region's agricultural industrial complex.