In this article features of potential of agrarian sector of economy in modern conditions are considered. Theoretical and methodological basis of research were the works of domestic and foreign scientists on the investigated problem, dissertation abstracts, National Sustainable Rural Development Program for 2011-2015 and etc. The main components of resource potential are de-fined and the directions promoting its development in the conditions of globalization are allocated.

The mountain farmers operate on whole of animals (flocks, herds, working herds) copying models coming surely from the beginning of domestication. The apprenticeship lengthwise of centuries was received as a heritage and they will to enrich through every generational change. Furthermore, in mountain difficulties the commerce do not rise a regulative capacity as on the plains or well communicated regions and therefore the efficiency way is nearly indispensable.

The purpose of this research is to analyse the situation of policy documents and basic laws (constitutions), related to the rational use of rural land and fertile soil as an important natural resource. The analysis has shown affinity of common laws of different countries in relation to the preservation and improvement of agricultural land and to the provision of necessary infrastructure conducive to the development of agriculture. Based on the analysis of legal framework, the main directions and principles of land management and land use planning in agricultural areas were concluded.

Proceedings of international scientific - methodical conference “Baltic Surveying’17” are periodical edition of scientific articles, issued as online (ISSN 2243-6944) edition. The periodicity of proceedings is one volume per year. Conference was held on the 10 - 12 of May, 2017 at the Latvia University of Agriculture, Jelgava, it was organized by the Department of Land Management and Geodesy. Authors of the papers are teachers, researchers and practising professionals from Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and Latvia.

In article is considered the existing system of documents of socio-economic planning of administrative and territorial units of the Republic of Belarus. It is expedient to develop a package of documents of a sustainable development of primary administrative and territorial units (village councils) for improvement of this system. Within implementation of the project of the international technical assistance the analysis of potential opportunities of rural territories for sustainable development goals is carried out.

Agricultural activities and their complex effects on nature conservation, and the services that ecosystems deliver to humans are controversial. We present an overview of land abandonment, its driving forces and its consequences for landscape, biodiversity and humans. A descriptive metaanalysis of independently published studies highlighted the fact that the abandonment of agricultural land is a phenomenon mostly driven by socio-economic factors such as immigration into areas where new economic opportunities are offered to rural people.

The changes in the ownership structure were to be implemented by the Agricultural Property Agency of the State Treasury, which, under the Act of Law of 11 April 2003 on the structuring of agrarian system (i.e. The Journal of Laws of 2012, item 803, as amended), on 16 July 2003 became the Agricultural Property Agency with eleven local branch offices.

One of the tools for management of balanced development of rural areas is spatial planning – a kind of activity regarding to organization of use and protection of land at the national, regional and local level. The issues of conservation and restoration of natural resources in rural areas are extremely relevant for Ukraine. Main environmental problems in rural areas are: degradation of agricultural land, loss of biodiversity and pollution of land, overground and underground water. In recent years a new environmental problem has emerged − desertification.

The research studies the issue of ecological stability of rural territories that is the most important component of the national environmental policy of Ukraine. A special attention is paid to degradation of arable lands as the main ecological problem of land management. On the example of Lviv region, the authors calculated the index of ecological nonconformity of current use of arable lands, proving a considerable excess of permissible ploughing of lands in the region.

In the recent years the issue of optimal size of the utilised agricultural area and its accessibility in particular regions has gained increased importance. Total area, types and conditions of the utilised agricultural area are essential to shaping and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. This research comprises investigation of the single area payment and the area payments done in scope of the Rural Development Programme for the time frame of 2007 – 2011.