The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Agricultural land reform policy in western Ukraine : the influence of environmental history and ethics
Author:	Wowk, Andrew B.
View Online:	njit-etd2002-041 (ix, 75 pages ~ 5.6 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Policy Studies
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Katz, Eric M. (Committee chair) Opie, John (Committee member) Partridge, Ernest (Committee member)
Date:	2002-05
Keywords:	Land Privitization Ukraine Environmental History Environmental Ethics
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Agricultural land privatization is an important environmental and economic policy within Ukraine, which is transitioning to a market-based economy. This thesis studied the influence of bioregional environmental history and environmental ethics on land privatization in Western Ukraine, within Lviv oblast, through historical research and field research of private farmers. Historical research showed that due to its environmental history, the study area was particularly receptive to land privatization after Ukraine's independence in 1991. Field research indicated that farmers in the study area generally see private ownership of land as better for humans and the environment than collective land ownership. The farmers also displayed attitudes towards the land consistent with traditional Ukrainian ethical attitudes toward nature. Other findings were generally high levels of environmental awareness among private farmers in the study area, support for more-widespread organic farming, and the existence of regional government education policies which. strive to encourage sustainable farming techniques.