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.

Recent studies have focused on the 'silent' agricultural revolution that occurred in rural West German society during the postwar period. The purpose of this paper is to provide a new framework by reviewing these recent studies in three research fields: (1) German rural social history, (2) the history of German agricultural policy, and (3) the ecological aspects of the land consolidation program ('Flurbereinigung').

The purpose of this study is to show the administrative institutions and acts for the unused farmlands in hilly and mountainous areas. The Nagano City Agricultural Commitee surveyed the farmland used in 2013, and produced a survey in collaboration with the members of their committee as well as other farmers. In this survey, it was shown that almost all the unused farmlands were kept as forests and thus, couldn't be cultivated. Before the 1970s, silk was produced in Nagano City, and so almost all the unused farmlands were used for mulberry production which supported the silk industry.

In a course of the research there was studied identification of problems and directions of improvement of agrarian land use. The research was realized in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. The possibility of practical application of results of estimation of production potential of agricultural organizations and ecological state of territory for economically-functional zoning of agricultural lands was examined.

The effectiveness of the use of land in an intensive agricultural rotation is influenced by a number of factors. Of great practical interest is the study of production potential of agricultural lands of agricultural organizations, the establishment of its impact on production results in crop breeding at the regional (oblast) level, where production and economic relations are closely tied. The results of such research will optimize agricultural land usage and improve specialization of agricultural production.