Through these guidelines, FAO wishes to inform governments and others about the main benefits that can be achieved from leasing. The aim is to provide information and examples for the development of policies and programs that facilitate access to land for land-poor farmers, in ways that improve both the productivity and the sustainability of farming systems. The guidelines have been prepared based on the premise that:

... it is possible to devise suitable arrangements which balance the interests of the landowner and the tenant and which can improve access to farms and lead to better agricultural production and improved stewardship of the land.