This paper is part of a collection of five policy briefs was commissioned by the World Bank for the 2009 World Development Report Reshaping Economic Geography. Through relocation policies, the Government of Lao PDR seeks to transform what it considers to be a traditional, rural economy into a modernised market-oriented system by eradicating shifting cultivation, changing the way that land is allocated and by reaching communities.

ABSTRACTED FROM THE MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of his mission was for the Special Representative to update himself on the human rights situation in Cambodia for his report to the 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights. He paid particular attention to the management of land and natural resources, the continuing problem of impunity, and to corruption which impacts negatively on the realisation of a range of human rights and distorts the allocation of economic resources so as to further exacerbate existing inequalities.

The dramatic increase in migration and settlement in several areas where indigenous people live is leading to a multitude of problems for the original inhabitants. Lowland immigrants are taking advantage of the vulnerable situation of indigenous people, and the absence of regulations, to lay claim to the people’s traditional lands. Illegal land transactions are taking place at an alarming rate without thought of the problems that would result from widespread landlessness among indigenous peoples or the impact this is likely to have on the remaining forested areas.

Although Cambodia has made significant progress in improving human well-being, poverty in rural areas persists. This Human Development Report for Cambodia assesses the state of rural livelihoods and their relationship with natural resources. It describes the status of human development at the regional and provincial levels, and distinguishes high performance areas from those which require more attention.

Over 943,069 hectares of land in rural Cambodia have been granted to private companies as economic land concessions, for the development of agro-industrial plantations. Thirty-six of these 59 concessions have been granted in favour of foreign business interests or prominent political and business figures. These statistics exclude smaller economic land concessions granted at the provincial level, for which information on numbers and ownership has not been disclosed.

Under the development paradigm of ‘Economic Concessions’ increasingly large areas of Cambodia’s land have been given over to establishing fast-wood plantations in recent years. Whilst proponents have argued that plantations are necessary for Cambodia’s economic development, opponents have argued that overall the rural poor do not benefit and that, in addition, there are numerous other negative social impacts and environmental consequences.

Primer premio de la categoría Ensayos del Concurso 2015, el trabajo que ahora presentamos se basa en la investigación Construcción de ciudadanía a través de políticas contra la exclusión social: el caso de “Familias en acción” y “Familias por la inclusión social” en los Conurbanos de Bogotá y Buenos Aires, tesis de maestría de la authora.

 
Para continuar aportando al diálogo sobre el estado actual de la Agricultura familiar, difundimos en esta oportunidad el presente artículo, que mereció una mención entre los resultados del Concurso Alimentos y pensamientos, siempre en agenda, en la versión del año pasado. El autor nos propone una mirada actual al tema a partir de la construcción de su concepto, de algunos hechos de escala internacional y de experiencias de políticas públicas en Brasil que están contribuyendo a reinstalarlo, definitivamente, en las agendas del momento.  

* Ivo Lesbaupin

 COOPERACION INTERNACIONAL Y CRISIS FINANCIERA
 Vera Gianotten*
La actual crisis mundial, cuyas perspectivas día a día empeoran sin que nadie se atreva a vislumbrar su fin, está teniendo consecuencias sin precedentes en el mercado financiero global, pero sobre todo afectará de forma severa a los países empobrecidos del planeta.  

This article addresses the methodological complexities inherent in researching poverty, examining how to differentiate the poor from other social groups, and how to assess the relationships between poverty and technology adoption and impact. The use of specific types of quantitative and qualitative methods, the degree to which their integration was achieved, and the benefits of integration are analyzed.