Importance of Land Tenure Security for Rural Development & Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Africa

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1 Importance of Land Tenure Security for Rural Development & Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Africa Harold Liversage, Land Tenure Adviser, Eastern & Southern Africa Division, IFAD FAO Investment Days Workshop, Rome, December, 2011

2 Importance of LTS & equitable access Improving access to land and tenure security POLICY Land tenure: rules & norms governing how, when & where people access & use land. A bundle of overlapping group & individual rights. Secure rights & equitable access to land & NR are part of our core strategic objectives. Essential for: Economic growth & poverty reduction Social equality & political stability Land management & conservation Good governance Uptake of new technologies Access to credit We have formulated a corporate land policy to provide guidance in project / programme design & implementation.

3 Whose land? 500 million small-holder farmer, mainly women support ⅓ of the world s population & produce ±80% of food in the developing world. ± million ha could be under acquisition by large-scale investors. In SSA: 470 million people in rural areas, agriculture employs 65% of the labour force & contributes 32% to GDP growth de jure the state owns most land but de facto most land is owned under diverse tenure systems. While land may be under-utilised, very little is not owned, vacant or unused. Women typically have weaker land rights. Pastoralists use large percentages of what is often considered marginal land.

4 Challenges & Risks Increasing competition for dwindling land resources as a result of: Growing populations Urbanization Land degradation & climatic change Energy demand Increased demand for land from large foreign and domestic investors Land grabbing by national & local elites, foreigners, neighbours & in families Resulting in a threat to food security & land rights of poor and vulnerable people Opportunities Growing (revived) recognition of the importance of agriculture for economic growth Growing (revived) recognition of the importance of LTS greater recognition of diverse customary tenure systems that combine individual and group rights Greater recognition of importance of multistakeholder involvement, led by government

5 Agriculture in SSA Agricultural growth is 4X more effective at reducing poverty Key elements for a Green Revolution : Focus on small-holder farmers Integrated farming systems SLM & climate mitigation Increased productivity sustainable farming practices. Improved harvesting, storage & processing Value chain enhancement & improved access to markets improved access to credit Appropriate research & extension Land access and tenure security

6 Possible Land Policy Options & Actions 1. Recognise the centrality of LTS for development. Develop guidelines for analysing LTS issues & include in development strategies. Set government investment targets for the Land Sector. Strengthen global & regional guidelines for land policy development - eg: FAO-led VGs land & NR, governance, AUC/UNECA/AfDB-led ALPFG. Integrate measures into rural poverty reduction programmes. 2. Strengthen land rights of poor & vulnerable people. Recognise a diversity of tenure systems, balanced with principles of social equity. Secure women s land rights (inheritance rights, co-spousal registration, women s right to own) Info dissemination & civic education Support land redistribution Legal aid & training of magistrates & lawyers.

7 Possible Land Policy Options & Actions 3. Develop accessible, affordable & transparent land administration systems. Balance cost recovery with affordability for all users. Integrate land rights recognition with participatory land use planning. Utilise a mix of low-cost GIS, aerial photography/satellite imagery, GPS and PRA methods. Recognise local & customary dispute resolution mechanisms. Develop local capacity multi-disciplinary skills. Strengthen role of private sector & civil society service providers.

8 4. Policy review and M&E. Periodic, multi-stakeholder, multi-level reviews. Strengthen both government & independent M&E systems foster dialogue between perspectives. Strengthen cross-country research & lesson sharing. Develop a set of global land policy indicators. 5. Promote inclusive business models. Possible Land Policy Options & Actions Develop guidelines, promote partnerships that do not require large-scale land acquisition, make community consultation obligatory Strengthen community enterprise development & negotiation capacity. Recognise land & other assets as community share equity contribution Monitor implementation of agreements.

9 Some examples Decentralised land administration: Rwanda, Madagascar, Uganda. Equitable access to irrigated land: Swaziland, Malawi, Rwanda, etc. Securing rangelands: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, etc plus regional lesson learning initiatives (learning route, WISP). Women s land rights: Kenya, Burundi Inclusive business models: Mozambique, Uganda, etc plus learning initiative with IIED and FAO. Securing coastal and forestry resources: Mozambique. Land policy dialogue & review: Madagascar, Rwanda, Swaziland also LGAF, ALPFG & ILC.

10 Lessons Learnt Land reform requires sustained support. Challenges of building political will and scaling up pilot experiences. Strengthening links between LTS and other aspects of RD is essential not addressing LTS undermines investment in other areas, addressing LTS on its own is not sufficient. Modest investment in LTS can have a significant positive impact, especially when well integrated. Uneven understanding and commitment of Ministries we normally work with to mainstream LTS activities. Importance of multi-stakeholder support. Importance of strengthening lesson sharing - from local to international.