This report analyzes land issues in Sri
Lanka, which cannot be seen in isolation from the ethnic and
political conflict and, at the same time, even though land
conflict is often linked with the ethnic conflict in Sri
Lanka, a large number of land conflicts in the North and
East can be resolved prior to a full and national political
solution to the ethnic situation. This report analyzes
constraints and opportunities for an effective governance

The report, Land Tenure for Social and
Economic Inclusion in Yemen: Issues and Opportunities was
completed in December 2009. The report addresses the
problems of land ownership in Yemen and the various social
and economic problems associated with the system of land
ownership. Property rights under Yemeni Law are expressed
both in custom and statute, but both are informed by shari a
(Islamic law), which provides the basic property categories

Please find here the report of the online discussion facilitated by Ekta Parishad on the land portal in December 2012 : Is the right to land for shelter a human right? Many thanks to all of the participants for their very interesting inputs, which will contribute to the ongoing negociations with the indian government.

Special thanks to Dominik Pauli for his great support and commitment.

During 2012, a key choice facing developing countries revealed itself ever more starkly. Would they choose a development path built on inclusiveness, respect for the rights of their citizens, and the rule of law? Or would they seek a short-cut to development and opt to hand over community land and natural resources to international investors and national elites? Would they turn their rural citizens from landowners into landless laborers?

Durante 2012, se hizo más evidente que nunca que los países en vías de desarrollo afrontarían una de las decisiones más críticas que se les ha presentado. ¿Tomarían el camino hacia un desarrollo fundamentado en la inclusión, el respeto de los derechos de sus ciudadanos y el estado de derecho? ¿O buscarían un atajo para alcanzar el desarrollo, que conllevara la entrega de las tierras comunitarias y los recursos naturales a inversionistas internacionales y élites nacionales?

Au cours de l’année 2012, il est apparu clairement que les pays en voie de développement devaient faire un choix fondamental. Opteraient-ils pour un développement basé sur l’inclusion, le respect de la loi et des droits de leurs citoyens ? Ou chercheraient-ils un moyen rapide d’accéder au développement en cédant la terre et les ressources naturelles des communautés aux investisseurs internationaux et aux élites nationales ? Transformeraient-ils leurs propriétaires fonciers en paysans sans terre ?

Agricultural investments create risks as well as opportunities, for instance The Case Study of Integrated Tamale Fruit Company (2013) In recent years, Ghana has witnessed increased interest from private companies in developing agricultural investments. This trend is common to many lower/middle income countries.

A Case Study of Selected Agricultural Investments in Northern Tanzania (2013)

For early reports, see FAO’s Corporate Document Repository

The gender and equity implications of land-related investments on land access and labour and income-generating opportunities

>> A case study of selected agricultural Investments in LAO PDR (2013)

In recent years, Zambia has witnessed increased interest from private investors in acquiring land for agriculture. As elsewhere, large-scale land acquisitions are often accompanied with promises of capital investments to build infrastructure, bring new technologies and know-how, create employment, and improve market access, among other benefits

A Case Study of Selected Agricultural Investments in Zambia (2013) 

Unequal access to natural resources, especially to land, is a major issue that lies at the heart of social movements throughout the world. Population growth, development models and intensive agriculture are transforming many regions into battlegrounds where conflicts are waged over natural resource use, damaging the lives of the farmers who depend on such  resources. In India, the Ekta Parishad movement was created during the 1990s to support and defend the landless in a country marked by significant land pressure and where 70% of the population lives in rural areas.

This note reviews the role legal aid can
play as a catalyst to empower and strengthen the livelihoods
of the poor in a World Bank-funded project in the Indian
state of Andhra Pradesh (AP), the AP Rural Poverty Reduction
Project. This note shows how land-related legal aid
activities can be implemented to support community-driven
development project objectives. Initial evidence on the
positive impacts of legal aid on economic and social