Most of the world’s poor work in the “informal economy” – outside of recognized and enforceable rules. Thus, even though most have assets of some kind, they have no way to document their possessions because they lack formal access to legally recognized tools such as deeds, contracts and permits…

Water for agriculture draws on a range of sources - from naturally available water bodies to water supply infrastructure. In sub-Saharan Africa, only a very small percentage of arable land is irrigated. Most farmers produce food under rainfed conditions. In 1995, for instance, 89 percent of…

Across rural Africa, land legislation struggles to be properly implemented, and most resource users gain access to land on the basis of local land tenure systems. Although such systems claim to draw their legitimacy from “tradition” and are commonly referred to as “customary” (and for easier…

Farmer-herder conflicts are enduring features of social life in the Sudano-Sahelian zone.
A survey was carried out between August and December 2004 in four sites in Niger,
namely Bokki, Katanga, Sabon Gida and Tountoubé to determine the proximate and
long-term causes of…

At this point – just under half way (two years and six months) in the implementation of the first CPWF phase (and three years and eight months since inception began) governance and management processes are running smoothly, it is in reasonable financial health and technical processes – such as…

This introductory section covers the period since the submission of the last Mid-Term
Plan until present, and concentrates on the following areas:
> Principal areas of progress.
> Developments in 2005 and early 2006.
> Changes to the CPMT strategic…

This paper is a summary of a regional case study on gender, land and decentralisation. The main study has two parts: three portraits of women showing different examples of access to natural resources and local leadership; and a general report based on the portraits and on interviews carried out…

This paper is a summary of a case study on gender, land and decentralisation. It addresses how women in rural areas of Niger deal with pressure on land within changing agricultural production systems. A separate focus is on women’s land rights, and the strategies they use to capitalise on these…

This study aims to identify how women's capacity to become more involved in decision-making at the local level can be strengthened, particularly in terms of access to natural resources. It also aims to identify the structures through which women secure their systems of production. It…

The breadth and scope of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food’s (CPWF) mandate is substantial. This research strategy attempts to define this mandate by reviewing and refining its objectives and principles, and by clearly defining the path that will be followed to achieve its goals.…

‘Poor soils make poor people, and poor people make soils worse’. This is a situation that can be seen in many ACP countries. What information support can be offered...

En 1999, la FAO publiait la première version française du Thésaurus multilingue du foncier. Cette version avait surtout pour vocation d'être mise à l'épreuve du terrain, c'est-à-dire soumise aux critiques constructives tant des usagers à la recherche d'informations et d'…