Transformation of land relations in agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan: the impact of institutional changes on economic development

Since Kazakhstan gained independence, transformation of land relations in agriculture has been inextricably linked with waves of privatization and introduction of market principles of management.

The goal is to study the impact of institutional changes on the process of reforming land resources in agricultural sector of the republic.

The methods are based on materials from domestic and foreign analytical reviews, scientific publications, regulations relating to the land issue, and program strategic documents. Quantitative and graphical methods were used to analyze the consequences of institutional reforms in agro-industrial complex in terms of property reorganization, land use, and contribution of agricultural production to the country's GDP.

Results - it is substantiated that the breakup of production, logistics and other necessary connections in the first years of Kazakhstan’s independence became a difficult test for agriculture and the loss of significant investments in the gross domestic product by this industry. Modern reality required building new market rules, regulated by the state within the framework of laws. The main stages of regulatory changes that influenced land legal relations in agricultural sector are given. The consequences of past reforms related to the land issue are presented, problems and challenges facing the development of agro-industrial complex of the republic are identified, and recommendations are offered to improve the current situation.

Conclusions - it should be understood that the quality of adopted regulations reflecting property rights, including land legislation, directly affects socio-economic and environmental situation, which shows the importance of the institutional system for the economic development of the country, formation of effective socio-economic structure of agricultural sector.

1. [1] Darity Jr, W. A. (2024). Reconsidering the economics of identity: Position, power, and property. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46 (1), 4-12 [in English].

2. [2] Boubacar, I. & Nene, G. (2024). Land to the landless: Does the type of approach matter? Land Use Policy, 141, 107135 [in English].

3. [3] Sharofiddinov, H., Islam, M. & Kotani, K. (2024). How does the number of water users in a land reform matter for water availability in agriculture? Agricultural Water Management, 293, 108677 [in English].

4. [4] Papaskiri, T.V. & Lipski, S.A. (2024). The country’s land potential as a key factor in ensuring its food security: Land management and legal aspect. In BIO Web of Conferences, 82, 05006 [in English].

5. [5] Shi, X., Huangfu, B., Jin, S. & Gao, X. (2024). Property rights, labor reallocation, and gender inequality in rural China. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 220, 325-342 [in English].

6. [6] Ghimire, P.R., Devkota, N., Maraseni, T., Khanal, G., Deuja, J. & Khadka, U. (2024). Does joint land ownership empower rural women socio-economically? Evidence from Eastern Nepal. Land Use Policy, 138, 107052 [in English].

7. [7] Przybylowski, T. (2023). «Boussan à vie»: une réforme extralégale des terriens autochtones en pays wè (département de Bangolo, Côte d’Ivoire). Politique africaine, 3-4 (171-172), 217-239 [in English].

8. [8] Kam, H. & Potter, C. (2024). Who should deliver agri-environmental public goods in the UK? New land managers and their future role as public good providers. Land Use Policy, 139, 107072 [in English].

9. [9] Bao, H. X., Jiang, Y., Wang, Z. & Feng, L. (2024). Social capital and the effectiveness of land use policies: Evidence from rural China. Land Use Policy, 139, 107069 [in English].

10. [10] Gong, M., Xi, R., Qi, Y., Wang, X., Sun, P. & Che, L. (2024). Agricultural land management and rural financial development: coupling and coordinated relationship and temporalspatial disparities in China. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1-20 [in English].

11. [11] IS «Paragraf» spravochnaja sistema. Available at: https://online.zakon.kz/Document/?doc_id=1001216&pos=2;-122#pos=2;-122 (date of access: 04.02.2024) [in Russian].

12. [12] Gosudarstvennaja programma razvitija agropromyshlennogo kompleksa Respubliki Kazahstan na 2017-2021 gody [The State program for the development of the agro–industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 20172021]. Available at: https://www.adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P1800000423 (date of access: 04.09. 2023) [in Russian].

13. [13] Poslanie Glavy gosudarstva KasymZhomarta Tokaeva narodu Kazahstana ot 02.09.2019 goda. Konstruktivnyj obshhestvennyj dialog – osnova stabil'nosti i procvetanija Kazahstana [President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s State of the Nation Address constructive public dialogue - the basis of stability and prosperity of Kazakhstan]. Available at: https://www.akorda.kz/ru/addresses/addresses_of_president/poslanie-glavy-gosudarstva-kasym-zhomarta-tokaevanarodu-kazahstana (date of access: 14.09. 2023) [in Russian].

14. [14] Svodnyj analiticheskij otchet o sostojanii i ispol'zovanii zemel' respubliki Kazahstan za 2022 god. Ministerstvo sel'skogo hozjajstva Respubliki Kazahstan Komitet po upravleniju zemel'nymi resursami [Summary analytical report on the state and use of the lands of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2022. Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Land Management Committee]. Available at: https://www.gov.kz%2Fmemleket%2Fentities%2Fland%2Fdocuments%2Fdetails%2F291911%3Flang%3Dru&psig=AOvVaw2589BZ9VzFCp6zFNhZLcic&ust=1709722125820000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CAYQn5wMahcKEwiorZux-dyEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBA (date of access: 24.09. 2023) [in Russian].

15. [15] Bjuro nacional'noj statistiki Agentstva po strategicheskomu planirovaniju i reformam Respubliki Kazahstan [Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bureau of National statistics] (2024). Available at: https://stat.gov.kz (date of access: 04.03.2024) [in Russian].

16. [16] Auditorskoe zakljuchenie po itogam auditorskogo meroprijatija «Gosudarstvennyj audit jeffektivnosti upravlenija zemel'nymi resursami v sfere obespechenija racional'nogo upravlenija, ispol'zovanija i ohrany zemel'nyh resursov, a takzhe geodezii i kartografii». [An audit report on the results of the audit event "State audit of the effectiveness of land management in the field of ensuring rational management, use and protection of land resources, as well as geodesy and cartography"]. Available at: https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2021/10/4/18128574732b0ccf39fa85b90cf78cc4_original.345713.docx. (date of access: 02.09.2023) [in Russian].