Land
The planet's great farmland reserve
Black earth, fresh water and the world's number-one wheat export. Russia's land is its quietest asset - and one of the most strategic in a world that needs more food.
Scale
Land and water in numbers
- Farmland
- 122M haof arable land - #3 in the worldSource: World Bank / FAO, 2023
- Land reserve
- 13M haof arable land not in use todaySource: Ministry of Agriculture, 2024
- Food exports
- #1wheat exporter - 48 Mt in 2025/26Source: USDA FAS, 2025/26
- Water resources
- #2renewable freshwater resources, 4,312 km³Source: World Bank / FAO, 2022
- Forests
- #1forest area - about a fifth of the world's forestsSource: FAO FRA 2025, 2025
- Fresh water
- 20%of the world's unfrozen fresh water is in Lake BaikalSource: UNESCO, 1996
- Fertilisers
- #2potash producer in the worldSource: USGS, 2025
- Territory
- 17.1M km²the largest country on Earth - 11 time zonesSource: World Bank, 2023
The rules
Lease, not ownership - and why that works
Foreign citizens and companies with majority foreign ownership cannot own agricultural land in Russia. They can lease it - typically for up to 49 years - and many large agricultural holdings operate on exactly this model.
Land in border territories - including Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk - and certain other areas is closed to foreign owners altogether. Industrial, commercial and residential plots are more accessible, subject to the usual approvals.
For large projects, regions can provide land plots without auction. This is one of the most valuable - and least known - tools for serious investors.
The legal regime for land is detailed and changes. Every land deal starts with a legal check of the investor's status and the plot's category.
Opportunities
Where land creates value
- 01Agri-food
Grain, oilseeds and export chains
Russia's grain exports reach the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Integrated farms with storage and port access capture the margin.
- 02Reserve
Returning idle land to use
The state has identified about 13 million hectares of unused arable land and is actively bringing it back into circulation.
- 03Logistics
Land for warehouses and data centres
Industrial land near Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and the southern ports, with power connections, is in short supply.
- 04Development
Integrated territory development
Large urban projects under integrated development programmes combine land, infrastructure and housing.
Land is the only asset they are not making any more of. Russia simply has more of it.
Altai Republic
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