Rational Use and Protection of Agricultural Land: Environmental and Legal Problems

Abstract

The article proposes to consider the problems of ensuring the rational use and protection of the most important, according to the author, category of land in the Russian land fund — agricultural land. These lands play a decisive role in solving the issues of providing the country’s population with food, in achieving food security goals in modern conditions of imposing sanctions on Russia by unfriendly countries. The author notes the existence of certain legal instruments aimed at achieving this goal — the relevant sources of Russian law, the activities of certain state authorities, including those specially authorized to exercise state control (supervision) in the sphere of relations under consideration, the state mechanism for identifying, suppressing, punishing persons who have committed land offenses that have led to the deterioration of agricultural land and soils, moreover, which made it impossible to use such lands for their intended purpose. In the article, the author provides data characterizing the state with the use of such lands, identifies the main negative factors contributing to the creation of such a situation. As a result of some analysis of the current situation with ensuring the proper use and protection of lands of this category, the author formulates his proposals for improving the existing mechanism aimed at achieving the goals of ensuring food security in Russia.