The impact of the institutional environment on the development of the rural economy in the Belgorod region of Russia

This article deals with the problems in the development of agriculture in Russia caused by an imperfect institutional environment. The characteristics of institutional conditions and their influence on the development of agriculture is discussed. The main institutional changes which have taken place in Russia over the past 20 years are described, including the ownership of the means of production, commodity-money relations, access to and distribution of profits and competition. The main body of the article presents an analysis of the development of agriculture in the Belgorod region in relation to the status of the institutional environment.