Ecological and Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Land Use in the Subjects of the Central Federal District

Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the need to resolve the contradiction between the intensification of agricultural production and the preservation of soil fertility under conditions of regional differentiation in natural, climatic, and economic factors. Objective. To conduct a comparative analysis of the subjects of the Central Federal District based on the criteria of ecological and economic efficiency of agricultural land use using an integrated approach. Materials and Methods. The empirical basis was Rosstat data for 2010–2025, including indicators of investment structure, sown areas, crop yields, financial performance of agricultural producers, as well as departmental statistics on reclaimed, disturbed, and degraded lands. Methods of statistical, comparative, and cluster analysis were applied. Results. Significant asymmetry among regions in land use models was revealed. In the chernozem regions (Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Tambov, Voronezh oblasts), maximum crop yields (up to 62.4 t/ha) and positive profit dynamics are recorded, along with a high share of degraded lands (20–40%). In the Non-Black chernozem egions (Tver, Kostroma, Smolensk regions), a reduction in sown areas by 15–30% over the decade, low investment activity, and underutilization of the potential of reclamation systems are observed. The Kostroma region is identified as the only subject of the Central Federal District without irrigated lands. Conclusion. The presence of ecological and economic dissonance is proven: leading regions in terms of economic efficiency accumulate environmental costs, while depressed agricultural territories lose agricultural potential. The necessity of introducing correction coefficients into the efficiency assessment, taking into account the cost of lost fertility and reclamation expenses, is substantiated.