Secure tenure of farming and forest land is increasingly recognised as an important factor of household food security and nutritional status. This is borne out by a study by the Laotian Land Issues Working Group. It demonstrates mutual impacts, how government land-related policies affect the factors involved, and who the winners and losers are.

Sierra Leone is one of the least developed countries in the world and is still recovering from a civil war that ended in 2002. Increasingly, the Sierra Leonean government seeks to attract foreign investors through providing opportunities for large-scale land leases for the development of agribusiness. This has triggered a rapid transformation process that poses a considerable threat to food security and social stability. Despite being a pilot country for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure, there is no real change on the ground as yet.

The buying up of farmland by international investors is viewed highly critically. However, sweeping judgements could be inappropriate, as our author demonstrates with survey results from Ethiopia and Uganda.

On the 11th May 2012, the Committee on World Food Security of the United Nations adopted the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT). Rural 21 asked Roman Herre of the human rights organisation FIAN about his views on the implementation of the Guidelines so far.

In a long-term project in Kenya, the Swiss-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture has examined the potential of organic and conventional agriculture regarding soil fertility, the occurrence of pests and diseases, and profitability. Initial results make a strong case to implement policy measures necessary for supporting the adoption of organic management practices on a large scale.

A project in Burkina Faso has given a clear demonstration of what supporting family farms can achieve in terms of poverty alleviation and rural development. One important success factor was the transfer of land to farmers, accompanied by a secure land-tenure policy adapted to their needs.

Com a edição da Medida Provisória 759, o Governo Federal propõe ao Congresso Nacional um modelo de reforma agrária mais transparente, eficaz e ágil para corrigir irregularidades do passado e garantir ao trabalhador rural assentado o direito de acesso às políticas públicas do setor. 

A MP 759 também prevê mudanças na titulação urbana, além dos ajustes ao Programa de Reforma Agrária. No que se refere ao meio rural, a medida corrige contradições que, em última instância, inviabilizam a promoção do bem-estar de agricultores familiares e o desenvolvimento sustentável do campo

O II Plano Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional 2016-2019 é constituído pelo conjunto de ações do governo federal que buscam garantir a segurança alimentar e nutricional e o direito humano à alimentação adequada à população brasileira.

The voluntary guidelines do not create an absolute obligation. They are a basic tool that can be used to bring about changes in governance policies and practices associated with the tenure regimes applicable to land, fisheries and forests. The recommendations they contain are highly legitimate insofar as they were signed in late 2012 by the member states of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) following a drafting process that placed significant emphasis on the views of civil society around the world.

Las DV no son ni de obligado cumplimiento ni tampoco inderogables. Son una herramienta de referencia que se usa para forzar la evolución y mejora de políticas y prácticas de gobernanza relativas a la tenencia de la tierra, la pesca y los bosques. Sus postulados gozan de una importante legitimidad ya que se consensuaron a finales de 2012 mediante las firmas de los estados miembros del Comité de la seguridad Alimentaria Mundial (CSA) y a raíz de un proceso de elaboración que logró una presencia importante de la voz de la sociedad civil mundial.

Les DV n’ont pas force d’obligation indérogeable. C’est un outil de référence mobilisable pour faire évoluer les politiques et pratiques de gouvernance relatives à la tenure des régimes fonciers applicables aux terres, pêches et forêts. Leurs préconisations bénéficient d’une forte légitimité puisqu’elles ont réuni, fin 2012, les signatures des États membres du Comité de la Sécurité Alimentaire Mondiale (CSA), suite à un processus d’élaboration qui a accordé une place importante à l’expression de la société civile mondiale.

Las investigaciones y los testimonios directos de los participantes constataron cuán dramática es la situación de los pueblos indígenas/autóctonos y de las comunidades rurales en general (campesinas, forestales, pastoriles y de pescadores). Son 2,5 mil millones de personas las que pertenecen a estos pueblos, que viven en tierras compartidas y las usan de modo comunitario. Sin embargo, sólo una quinta parte de estas tierras está registrada como territorio comunitario por los gobiernos nacionales.