Decreasing labor intensity in agriculture and the accessibility of major cities shape the rural population decline in postsocialist Russia

Abstract

Rural population decline has been observed in most developed and emerging economies but has been especially apparent in postsocialist countries. In this paper, we investigate the spatial patterns and the determinants of the rural population dynamics during the transition period from 1991 to 2010 in Tyumen Province, Russia, with the aim of better understanding the forces underlying depopulation. We use descriptive and exploratory statistical tools to analyze data from population censuses and district-level statistics of agriculture. Our results reveal distinct differences in the spatial clusters of the population increase and decline in the first and second decades of the post-Soviet era. We argue that these differences reflect the penetration of market relations into the countryside. The emergence of market forces initially advantaged the areas that were more suited to agriculture, which experienced population growth in the 1990s. Later, the drop in agricultural output, market-driven restructuring of farms, and introduction of labor-saving technologies reduced employment in agriculture. During the 2000s, labor opportunities in agriculture were no longer statistically related to rural population dynamics, while population dynamics in the villages have increasingly been determined by transport accessibility to larger markets, especially to the provincial capital. Governments need to be sensitive to these spatial and temporal population dynamics to foster opportunities in the countryside, avoid the negative side effects of depopulation on local economies and ensure the provision of social services.

Restoring steppe landscapes: patterns, drivers and implications in Russia’s steppes

“…Explaining the spatial pattern of steppe restoration In general, steppe has persisted or has been restored in areas further away from infrastructure (roads, settlements), in areas with complex terrain and areas with harsh climatic conditions. This is in line with other studies that showed that human drivers such as a shrinking and ageing population and the great distances between markets and settlements are highly relevant (Rey Benayas 2007;van Vliet et al 2015;Sheludkov et al 2020). The positive relationship between crop abandonment and remoteness from settlements and infrastructure has also been found across Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan (Meyfroidt et al 2016), as well as in the neighbouring states of Western Siberia (Nguyen et al 2018).…”

Terras comunitárias em Portugal: entre o despovoamento e a perspetiva de desenvolvimento

“…Viabilizar o acesso a serviços públicos, como nas áreas da educação e saúde, é fundamental para evitar as limitações que condicionam a exclusão social e a necessidade de mobilidade (Camarero e Oliva, 2019). A falta de serviços locais sujeita as pessoas à deslocação para cidades ou para núcleos urbanos maiores de forma a satisfazer as necessidades sociais e económicas (Sheludkov et al, 2020). Da mesma forma, a possibilidade de promover a fixação de jovens locais bem como a transição de jovens oriundos do meio urbano depende da disponibilidade de serviços básicos e da melhoria de acesso à internet, condições que podem potencializar a revitalização local e o desenvolvimento de atividades não agrícolas (Mickovic et al, 2020), como também fortalecer a agricultura e a pecuária, atividades vistas como alternativa de desenvolvimento de regiões periféricas (Kołoszko-Chomentowska e Zdziarstek, 2019).…”

Navigating Migration Risks: The Role of Risk Perception and Information Engagement Among Moldovans

“…Inadequate economic reforms and a crisis between 1991 and 1994 worsened the financial situation, job market, and labor force. The loss of industrial and agricultural sectors, which were productive during Soviet times, had a devastating impact on employment and job availability in both urban and rural areas (Sheludkov, Kamp, and Müller 2021). As a result, the lack of social and economic support from the Moldovan authorities led to a significant increase in regular and irregular labor migration (Cuc, Lundback, and Ruggiero 2006; Hönekopp et al 2008; Pinger 2010; Burdelnii et al 2012; Ratzmann 2012; Birca 2015).…”