Rural property taxes can play a significant role in promoting sustainable rural livelihoods in transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The guide identifies issues that should be considered by those who are responsible for the technical design and implementation of rural property tax…

This bulletin is issued by FAO as a medium for the dissemination of information and views on land reform and related subjects to the United Nations, FAO Member Governments and national and international experts and institutions. Articles are published in the original language (English, French or…

The remit of this paper is to identify and examine “success” stories in combating desertification.
It is worth clarifying at the start the working definitions of “land degradation” and “success” to be used in the paper. The UNCCD defines Land degradation as: “reduction or loss, in arid,…

This guidance note provides a framework for understanding and addressing land and natural resource-related grievances and conflicts through a holistic, systematic approach. While the main emphasis is on violent conflict, it may also be useful in a variety of other situations characterized by…

This guidance note provides a framework for understanding and addressing land and natural resource-related grievances and conflicts through a holistic, systematic approach. While the main emphasis is on violent conflict, it may also be useful in a variety of other situations characterized by…

It is important for land managers and technical assistance specialists to be able to assess the health of rangelands in order to know where to focus management efforts. The complexity of ecological processes, and the inherent expense of directly measuring site integrity, suggests a need for an…

The new political dispensation in South Africa was the result of a political compromise, which depended on a crucial agreement to leave many of the existing power and wealth relationships intact. The advent of democracy in South Africa presented African people with long awaited political freedom…

Armed conflicts are enemies of food security. There is a well established correlation between the exposure of countries to external or internal conflicts, and the deterioration or long-term stagnation in their food security. Most conflicts, and especially the internal conflicts that have now…

Management of environmental externalities of agricultural production has become a necessity to attain sustainable and efficient use of resources. Policies to promote externality mitigation are moving away from command and control toward industry self-management guided through best-practice…

This paper reviews the literature on women's empowerment and suggests supporting empowerment both as an end in itself and a way to educational, economical and health development. It begins with a discussion of the various conceptual frameworks of women's empowerment, and then examines…

This study stresses the importance of land for the rural poor as a source of livelihood and describes the gendered and often inequitable experience of access to land and other natural resources. It also provides a set of guidelines for actions to increase women's access to land, including…