In-depth theme 1: Land governance

In large parts of Latin America and Asia, fair and secure access to agricultural land and natural resources for the poor is a key challenge since many years. With the recent trend of a strongly growing interest of rich investors, both domestic and foreign, in agricultural land, water sources and production, this challenge is becoming even more complex and is rapidly expanding to and in Africa. The phenomenon commonly referred to as "land grabbing", sets the family based peasant, pastoralist and agro forestry production systems and livelihoods under additional pressure and stresses further the importance of an enforceable, pro-poor land governance.

SDC's ARD-network has chosen land governance as one of its in-depth themes in order to reach the following objectives:

to help network members to acquire a good understanding of the different aspects of the land and natural resource governance topic and of their interrelationships
to establish links with land governance networks for better access to relevant information in order to mobilize specialised expertise for ARD-network members' and their partners' specific needs;
to be able to advise SDC's organisational units and SDC's partners in land governance issues, and to contribute to pro-poor land policies/reforms in selected countries, regions, and at the international level;
to enhance information and knowledge exchange on land governance issues between SDC's head office (geographic divisions, Global Program for Food Security, etc.) and the field offices.

Two online discussion rounds have been taken place in March 2010 and April/May 2010. Find here the synthesis papers of the discussion in an English, French and Spanish version:

synthesis paper March 15 to 28, 2010 (English version)