The state of agrarian reform in the former Soviet Union

A DECADE AFTER THE BREAK-UP of the Soviet Union in 1991 this article presents an overall review of the state of agrarian reform in the new states that were formed in its demise. It will show that the development of a new, economically viable agricultural sector, based on private farm enterprises, is still a far cry in most parts of the former Soviet Union (FSU). Agrarian reform (including land privatisation, restructuring of the collective and state farms, market liberalisation and particularly institution building) has not been at all comprehensive. The reasons behind the stagnation of reforms in the agricultural sector will be discussed. First, we shall contrast the current state of agrarian reform in most of the former Soviet Union-leaving aside the Baltic states1-with the original 'blueprint of reform' (World Bank, 1992). Second, we shall analyse the linkage between the performance of the agricultural sector in the various FSU successor states and the agrarian reforms, within the context of the overall macroeconomic development of the countries involved.