Large-scale land acquisitions in the former Soviet Union. A study of rural social movements and land conflicts

The post-Soviet land reforms that allowed private ownership of land in Russia and Ukraine, and the recent rise in global interest for land resources have made the fertile land of these countries an object for investment and a cause of disputes among land investors, peasants, and government. In similar circumstances in other agricultural countries, social movements rose to the defense of rural dwellers’ interests. However, until now, rural social movements in the former Soviet countries are considered to be among the weakest ones globally (Sanukov, 1993). Nevertheless, according to our research, on the wave of recent land conflicts and rising interests for land and agriculture, collective actions of rural dwellers are emerging in Russia and Ukraine. Rural social movements are getting more power and claiming to take a role in land (grab) issues. In this paper we analyze large-scale land acquisition in Russia and Ukraine and the role of rural social movements in the process of land governance. We investigate the reasons for land conflicts in these two countries, the history of land reforms and its consequences. We describe the magnitude of land grabbing and the types of investors involved. Also we look at land governance in Russia and Ukraine from the perspective of different stakeholders: government, investors and rural civil society, with the main focus on the last one. We study Russian and Ukrainian rural social associations and agrarian unions, their organization, goals and participation in land management and land policy making. Furthermore, we analyze several land conflict cases to see what methods the rural social movements use to solve them, as well as their impact. Key points: Land grabbing, land conflicts, Russia, Ukraine, rural social movements 1 Research for this article has been made possible through a grant from the LANDac “Land governance in the global South”, the track 2: “What mechanisms increase the benefits for local communities from large scale land acquisitions, reduce the risk of speculation and contribute to sustainable development?” 2 The land rights movements of Latin America and Africa, peasant farmers’ organizations in Asia, progressive campaigns and rural community initiatives in Europe and North America, radical farmers’ groups in Europe, North America and Australia.