The most important agro-ecological problem confronting the steppe regions of Southern Russia is desertification, in large part due to pasture degradation. This publication provides an overview of the status of the various regions in Russia, and studies the connection between desertification and the state and history of agriculture and stockbreeding in each region. It relates the activities of the regional authorities and highlights the necessity of special mechanisms for solving the complex ecological-economic-social problems of the area.