Resource information
Unequal land distribution and the
negative social and economic implications resulting from
such polarization in Colombia have long been of concern to
policymakers. A 1950 World Bank mission identified unequal
land distribution as a key impediment to economic and social
development in the country. Since then, a wide range of
policies has been adopted to deal with this issue and its
consequences. Numerous studies show that the success of
these policies was often limited by a combination of an
inappropriate policy environment, limited financial
resources, cumbersome processes loaded with bureaucratic
obstacles, drug money, and violence. This report uses new
empirical evidence to describe the dimensions and impact of
the problem of land access and land distribution and past
policies to deal with this issue, and to identify possible
avenues to address land issues in an integrated manner in
future interventions. It complements contemporaneous studies
by the Bank on rural finance and agricultural
competitiveness,' and past and ongoing work on
Afro-Colombian land issues in the Pacific Coast and improved
land access for the indigenous population. Among the issues
discusses are the role of land in confronting the challenges
of transition in Colombia's rural sector, the extent
and consequences of land inequality, the role of land policy
in dealing with involuntary displacement, the use of land
markets to facilitate productivity-enhancing land transfers
to small producers, improving land access and productivity
through redistributive land reform, and improving
agricultural competitiveness in a way that benefits the poor.
