Location
We are a network of academic organisations, professional practice, development partners as well as public and private sector country partners.
Land plays a key role in supporting economic, ecological, cultural and social development within a country.
Human settlement, food production, transport, infrastructure development, industry, trade and resource management all compete for land resources. It is also a source of wealth and power. One’s place of living can define class, culture and control life’s opportunities, hence how we organize and manage our land resources reflects our social and political values.
Most developed economies have sophisticated systems in place that allow interests in land resources to be defined, protected, traded. Yet despite decades of international support for land reform and land improvement in developing countries there are still significant problems.
For many, especially in the developing world, subsistence farming is the main source of livelihood and so secure access to land is critical. Many peri-urban areas are expanding without development control resulting in chaotic development, poor infrastructure and unclear land rights. We urgently need better ways of engaging and generating systemic change.