Why Land Rights Matter

The majority of the poor in developing countries share two key characteristics: they live off the land and they lack secure land rights. Insecure land rights keep farmers on the edge of survival, women invisible and marginalized, and communities at constant risk of exploitation and dispossession. Land rights are fundamentally connected to concerns around livelihoods, development, conservation, women’s rights, governance, conflict resolution, migration, and refugees, but are often overlooked in efforts to address these issues.

Landesa has been working for over 50 years to reform laws and bolster local land rights advocates in more than 50 countries around the world. At a recent event, CEO Chris Jochnick and cofounder and senior advisor Tim Hanstad addressed why land rights are essential in open societies and how they create a foundation for other interventions.

Listen above.