Since 2004, Ukraine has sheltered its famous Black Earth farmland by placing a complete moratorium on its sale. During the past two years, the government has taken steps to prepare for the opening of a land market, including creating an electronic cadaster that matches land deed numbers with satellite imagery. This project required many small landowners in Odessa and Vinnytsia provinces to go through the often grueling process of formalizing their holdings, lest their share be considered ‘abandoned’ and reclaimed by the state. Despite their interest in the cadaster, many villagers have little faith that titling truly guarantees their rights, or that the places their land deeds represent will one day be exchangeable.
Deborah Jones, of the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, was a 2012-2013 Individual Advanced Research Opportunities (IARO) [7] fellow.
