Dynamics of the territorial structure of agricultural land use in the Leningrad region

This study aims to examine the current state and prospects of the territorial transformation of agricultural land use, with a view to identifying key development trajectories and potential risks associated with returning unused land to economic circulation. The analysis focuses on agricultural land use in the Leningrad region, a territory with a highly developed agricultural sector and an important part of the Baltic Sea region. The methodological approach combines an assessment of spatial changes in the territorial structure of agricultural land use with an examination of structural shifts in the distribution of farmland, arable land, and sown areas. Indicators of structural change and their growth rates were analysed at the municipal-district level between the 2006 All-Russian Agricultural Census and the 2021 microcensus. The study traces the intensity of territorial shifts in agricultural land use across three periods (1990—2006, 2006—2016, and 2016—2021) and identifies the main characteristics and directions of these transformations, including north – south and centre—periphery patterns. Particular attention is paid to the influence of urbanisation on territorial change, especially in areas bordering Saint Petersburg. The analysis also highlights spatial differentiation within the region and identifies three principal zones of unused farmland. The case of the northern, peripheral Priozersk District shows that, when supported by favourable socioeconomic and institutional conditions, agricultural land can retain its value for agribusiness despite broader structural pressures. The study concludes by outlining region-specific approaches to mitigating potential risks to agricultural land use, assuming that current transformation trends continue

Agricultural land · Agriculture · Arable land · Land development · Land use · Urbanization · Land Rights and Reforms · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Urbanization and City Planning