Transformation of the agrarian sphere of Ukraine: approaches to study

The relevance of the study is due to the absence in the scientific literature of an unambiguous definition of the concept of "transformation of the agrarian sphere." In our understanding, the transformation of the agrarian sphere is a socio-geographical proc-ess that is characterized by a change in the sectoral, territorial structure and system of the agrarian sphere on different scales, caused by the transformation of the entire economic system or certain of its structural elements. The reasons for significant changes in the agrarian sphere of Ukraine is the change in the socio-political, economic and other spheres, the heterogeneity of natural conditions and the demographic situation. The beginning of the agrarian transformation in Ukraine is considered the period of its independence, since there was a transition from the command-administrative economic system to the market one. However, due to the lack of clear goals of transformation, this process did not bring the expected results. Transformational processes of the agrarian sphere are the driving force of the socio-economic development of the regions, es-pecially in the rural areas, since they contribute to the stabilization of the economic, ecological, social spheres of the life of the rural population; ensure an increase in the quality of life of the population, provide equal opportunities for achieving material, ecological and social well-being, improving the quality of the state of the environment, developing nature management in the national interests of the country and preserving resources for future generations, life expectancy and stabilization of the population of Ukraine. Scientific novelty of the work consists in studying the transformational processes of the agrarian sphere from the standpoint of social geography, considering the transformation as a socio-geographical process, identifying the factors of these processes and the relationship of the agrarian sphere with the socio-economic development of the regions.