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Rediscovering the Virgin Lands: Agricultural Investment and Rural Livelihoods in a Eurasian Frontier Area

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  • Petrick, Martin
  • Wandel, Jürgen
  • Karsten, Katharina

Abstract

Against the global debate on socially responsible agro-investment, we explore the conditions, patterns, and impacts of recent agricultural recovery in Kazakhstan’s northern grain provinces. Vertically and horizontally integrated agroholdings brought outside investment and management to this region. With stable employment in agriculture, real consumption spending of rural households has doubled within an 8-year period. Due to the socialist tradition of industrialized farming operations, rural inhabitants regard themselves primarily as workers and not as land owners. We conclude that investment in large-scale farming can provide benefits to rural people even with less than ideal-type political representation.

Suggested Citation

  • Petrick, Martin & Wandel, Jürgen & Karsten, Katharina, 2013. "Rediscovering the Virgin Lands: Agricultural Investment and Rural Livelihoods in a Eurasian Frontier Area," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 164-179.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:43:y:2013:i:c:p:164-179
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.09.015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Grigory Ioffe, 2005. "The Downsizing of Russian Agriculture," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(2), pages 179-208.
    2. Swinnen, Johan F.M. & Rozelle, Scott, 2006. "From Marx and Mao to the Market: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Transition," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199288915.
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    4. Jürgen Wandel, 2011. "Business groups and competition in post-Soviet transition economies: The case of Russian “agroholdings”," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 24(4), pages 403-450, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    agricultural investment; land grabbing; farm organization; rural poverty; Kazakhstan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • P32 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Collectives; Communes; Agricultural Institutions
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment

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