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Land rights

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Food security is land security

Land remains the most fundamental input into the global food system, but new demands and changing land use patterns are stressing local — and global — efforts to uphold rights and feed the planet at the same time.

All you can eat — the global greed for land

How do we feed 9 billion people by 2050? Start by recovering degraded farmland, writes Monique Barbut, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification.

Want to include smallholder farmers in development models? Align interests

How should international organizations engage smallholder farmers in their development models? Mima Nedelcovych, president and CEO of the Initiative for Global Development, shares lessons learned in this video interview.

The future of urbanization depends on land ownership

In the next 20 years, 3 billion people are expected to move from rural to urban areas, and most will end up living in slums unless we find ways to provide them with land and bring them into the formal economy, an expert from U.N.-Habitat argues in this video interview.

The link between climate change, food security and resource tenure

The struggles over resources will create new winners and losers, often to the disadvantage of vulnerable people like minority groups, women and the poor. Here's what we can do about it. A guest commentary by Tetra Tech's Mark Freudenberger.

Land tenure — a priority for a food-secure future

Ending extreme hunger and poverty within a generation is an ambitious but achievable goal — if we address issues related to land ownership and use, writes Nate Kline, a chief of party for an agricultural trade project by Fintrac.

How smallholder farmers can transition to medium-scale producers

How can governments facilitate land tenure for smallholder farmers and encourage enough private sector investment for these farmers to increase their production and advance food security? A video interview with UNECA's Joan C. Kagwanja.

Why security of tenure is crucial for good land management

In this video interview, Gerda Verburg, the Netherlands' ambassador to the Committee on World Food Security, explains why there's a need to set standards for responsible land use.

4 ways agricultural development groups can invest in land rights

Here are several ways organizations can integrate activities to promote land rights into their programs. A guest commentary by ACDI/VOCA's Lindsey Jones and Vincent Akamandisa.

Land rights you can take to the bank

When they take their development projects to the bank for financing, investors need to bring a clear picture of land ownership, not the "illusion" of value, says Mima Nedelcovich, president and CEO of the Initiative for Global Development.

Civil society: the ultimate food security tool

While utilization of civil society organizations in individual projects provides added value to communities, the support of broader CSO networks can truly link individuals to the global food security conversation. A guest opinion from Ambassador Tony Hall, head of the Alliance to End Hunger.

Innovative ways to reduce risks in farming by advancing land ownership

Farmers manage some risks by planting in multiple fields or purchasing crop insurance. The problem is — how can they reduce the risks associated with insecure land rights? A guest commentary by Karol Boudreaux of the Cloudburst Consulting Group.

Must Reads

Story

Determined to End Poverty in Nigeria

Alleviating widespread poverty has been a long-held goal for the international development community. With assistance from donors, Nigerian farmers like Sani Aliyu Abubaker are overcoming food insecurity and transforming not only their own lives, but also the future of the communities they live in.

Brief

Agriculture and Agribusiness: Registering Property

This policy brief highlights specific issues related to land titling and ownership, as well as registering real, movable, and intangible property. It also addresses the local legal, regulatory, and institutional factors that constrain the agribusiness enabling environment.

Video

From Seed to Sale: Understanding Cooperatives

This video shows how cooperatives play a key role in helping farmers improve productivity and increase their incomes while also contributing to greater food security.

Video

A Relentless Champion for Land Rights in Tajikistan

In Tajikistan, where individuals often struggle to exercise their land rights, Gulbahor Rajabova has helped countless female farmers take legal action and protect their economic well-being. With property rights guaranteed, these women can now rely on their own land as stable sources of nutritious food.

Case Study

Banana Case Study: Zimbabwe

Smallholder banana farmers in Honde Valley, Zimbabwe have increased their yields by 1,000 percent and income by 1,750 percent, placing them in the same league as large-scale commercial producers. This case study covers the approach, which included quality inputs and improved technical skills, that led to these dramatic results.

Story

A Win-Win for Farmers in Haiti

By empowering thousands of farmers to manage their farms as businesses, investments in Haiti’s agricultural system are moving the country toward a more innovative future. New approaches to using greenhouses and stronger value chains ensure a future that is both environmentally and economically sustainable.

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Cover photo by: Fintrac