The present volume is part of a series of Land Tenure Studies produced by FAO’s Land Tenure Service of the Rural Development Division. Land tenure plays a vital role in achieving sustainable rural development. Increasing technological change and economic integration are requiring policy makers, planners, development experts and rural producers to re-examine the institutional arrangements used to administer who has rights to what resources for which purposes and for how long.
This volume is designed to support people who are involved in implementing rural development projects and programmes, rather than those involved specifically in land reform or land administration activities. It is frequently the case that land tenure issues are left out or misunderstood in rural development interventions, with often long lasting and very negative results. We have therefore prepared this practical guide to assist people in seeing where and why land tenure is likely to be an issue in rural development projects and programmes.
This guide brings together lessons learned from an extensive literature review plus experience gained in many years of working with rural development projects.
It forms part of the Land Tenure Service’s programme designed in response to FAO’s overall concern for food security and poverty alleviation. Sustainable agricultural and rural development is a critical area of activity, where improving access to land by the poor (especially women, minorities and other disadvantaged groups) who want to engage in agricultural pursuits is a key aspect which is often unrecognised and not well understood. This book, like others in the series, does not seek to be exhaustive but rather reflects what FAO and its many international collaborators have discovered are “good practices” for sustainable agricultural and rural development. It is intended to be of use to technical officers of Member Nations and other senior authorities responsible for rural development and FAO field officers. FAO’s Rural Development Division looks forward to continuing collaboration with its larger audience.
Maximiliano Cox
Director
Rural Development Division
