Recognition of the importance of institutions that provide security of property rights and relatively equal access to economic resources to a broad cross-section of society has renewed interest in the potential of asset redistribution, including land reforms. Empirical analysis of the impact of such policies is, however, scant and often contradictory. This paper uses panel household data from India, together with state-level variation in the implementation of land reform, to address some of the deficiencies of earlier studies.

Although a large theoretical literature discusses the possible inefficiency of sharecropping contracts, the empirical evidence on this phenomenon has been ambiguous at best. Household-level fixed-effect estimates from about 8,500 plots operated by households that own and sharecrop land in the Ethiopian highlands provide support for the hypothesis of Marshallian inefficiency. At the same time, a factor adjustment model suggests that the extent to which rental markets allow households to attain their desired operational holding size is extremely limited.

This issue of Land Reform, Land Settlement and Cooperatives contains an interesting and wide-ranging set of contributions providing insights into land related issues ranging from Italy to the Central Andes, and from the historical development of sustainable tenure practices to aspects of agriculture sector planning. The eight articles featured open with that of Lavigne Delville, which addresses issues relating to insecurity of tenure in West Africa, and identifies what the paths of change currently appear to be.

The articles in this issue supplement the recent publication "Good governance in land tenure and administration" (Land Tenure Studies No. 9), which provides practical advice for land professionals on improving governance in a land administration system or other land tenure arrangement.

The figures of public resources estimated to have been channeled into private pockets are so high one hopes, obviously against hope, that they would turn out to be typographical errors. The figures of public resources estimated to have been channeled into private pockets are so high one hopes, obviously against hope, that they would turn out to be typographical errors.

This guide is written for people who work in land administration and all those with an interest in land, land tenure and their governance. Although much has been written about the importance of good governance in achieving development goals, there is comparatively little material on good governance in land tenure and administration. Failings in governance have adverse consequences for society as a whole. By contrast, good governance can help achieve economic development and the reduction of poverty. Good governance matters.

Ce manuel de formation souligne la façon de gérer et de résoudre les conflits concernant les droits relatifs au régime foncier, la sécurité foncière et l’accès à la terre dans le domaine du développement rural. Il a pour origine des activités complémentaires entreprises sous l’égide du Programme de soutien aux moyens d’existence de la FAO de l’Unité de la gestion des terres et des régimes fonciers et de la Coalition internationale pour l’accès à la terre.

Con ocasión del Año Internacional de las Montañas (2002), la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) y sus asociados emprendieron una sistematización mundial en gran escala de la situación actual y futuras tendencias de la gestión integrada y participativa de las cuencas hidrográficas. Los objetivos generales eran promover el intercambio y la difusión de experiencias de gestión de cuencas de 1990 a 2000, y determinar un paradigma para una nueva generación de programas y proyectos de gestión de cuencas.

Los principios del lenguaje de derechos humanos se han utilizado para respaldar las solicitudes de acceso a los recursos como enfoques basados en los derechos para empoderar individuos y grupos para ganar o mantener acceso a los recursos naturales. En este documento se aborda el derecho a la alimentación y el acceso a los recursos naturales en relación a las Provisiones, Violaciones y Obligaciones del Estado en relación a las Directrices sobre el Derecho a la Alimentación.

The paper looks at land tenure in Mozambique, where ever since independence in 1975, property in land has been vested in the state, and despite the political and economic shift to a multiparty system and market economy, this underlying principle has remained in place: no land may be sold, mortgaged, or otherwise encumbered or alienated. Local traditional land management systems meanwhile have retained a robust role as the de facto land management system of Mozambique.

The articles in this issue supplement the recent publication "Good governance in land tenure and administration" (Land Tenure Studies No. 9), which provides practical advice for land professionals on improving governance in a land administration system or other land tenure arrangement.

Cette étude propose une analyse de la dimension de genre au sein de la législation relative à l’agriculture et examine le statut juridique des femmes dans trois secteurs clés. Le résultat est une analyse qui identifie les principaux facteurs juridiques et certains facteurs non juridiques ayant une incidence sur l’existence et l’exercice des droits des femmes liés à l’agriculture.