The article titled “Agricultural lands in Azerbaijan: Current usage situation, problems and solutions”, co-authored by Abdulrahim Dadashov, Deputy Head of the Monitoring and evaluation division of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), has been published in the highly regarded Agricultural & Rural Studies journal of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University of the People’s Republic of China. The journal is indexed in the Scopus database.

Against the background of Azerbaijan’s food security priorities and the sustainable development goals of the agrarian sector, the efficient use of land resources holds strategic importance. The article examines the gap between the actual utilisation level of the country’s agricultural lands and their productivity potential. The findings indicate that only about 65% of land potential is currently realized in Azerbaijan, with salinization, erosion, and irrigation deficiencies identified as the primary limiting factors.

The study confirms that land restoration, modernization of irrigation infrastructure, and the transition to a digital cadastre system generate significant economic and environmental benefits. Furthermore, by employing the Land Efficiency Index (LEI) for the first time, the research provides a more precise scientific assessment of the interplay among land quality, water availability, and institutional governance across the country.

It should be noted that since 2023, the Agricultural & Rural Studies journal has been indexed by Scopus. The other co-authors of the published article include Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Akif Valiyev; PhD in Economics Vusala Babayeva and Gulnara Jafarova; and PhD in Economics, Associate Professor Khayyam Javadzade.

The article is available at the following links:
https://sccpress.com/ars/article/view/171
https://doi.org/10.59978/ar03040021