Abstract:
The study is devoted to determining the factors affecting the volume of agricultural production, the ability to meet the food needs of populations, as well as the
environmental efficiency of production, defined as the ratio of the number of kilocalories
produced by the agricultural sector to the amount of greenhouse gasses it emits. Central
Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) were
chosen as an example. They are characterized by similar natural conditions (mainly dry,
continental climate, and the dominant role of permanent grassland in agricultural land
use), as well as a common economic history (as former republics of the USSR). As shown
in this study, land productivity and environmental efficiency of production depend on
natural factors, while the actual ability to meet each nation’s food needs depends on human
activity, including primary measures taken to improve environmental efficiency within
natural limits.
