Economists argue that land rent taxation is an ideal form of taxation as it causes no deadweight losses. Nevertheless, pure land rent taxation is rarely applied. This paper revisits the case of land taxation for developing countries. We first provide an up-to-date review on land taxation in development countries, including feasibility and implementation challenges. We then simulate land tax reforms for Rwanda, Peru, Nicaragua and Indonesia, based on household surveys.

Rapidly changing food systems are creating both challenges and opportunities. As urban food markets have grown in recent decades, so too have rural–urban food supply chains. The growing urban demand has the potential to be a major force towards poverty reduction and inclusive rural development. This increasing urban demand for food, and especially for higher-value processed food, is creating opportunities for producers and agribusiness, including input suppliers.

L’étude proposée par l’UNICEF et le PNUD, en cherchant les caractéristiques actuelles de l’exploitation et de la commercialisation de l’or et du diamant, mais aussi en cherchant les éléments structurants qui feraient entrer cette économie dans un cercle économique et politique vertueux, met donc le doigt sur l’aspect fondamental de la possible sortie de crise de la République centrafricaine.

In this paper I will examine how logging in Papua New Guinea affects the relationship between the state and the local communities on whose lands logging operations take place. The point of departure of my argument is the Ili- Wawas Integrated Project, a combined logging and agricultural project which seeks to bring economic development to the remote Pomio district of East New Britain Province by connecting existing logging roads to the limited national road network around the provincial capital.

This primer provides guidance for including and protecting vulnerable groups in the context of a land-based investment. It outlines the importance of identifying and engaging with vulnerable groups, who often have weak claims to land rights and are particularly susceptible to negative impacts from changes in land use. It provides

• an overview of who may qualify for inclusion in a vulnerable group and descriptions of specific vulnerable groups, and

• step-by-step guidance for governments, business, and communities..

The restoration and improvement of natural capital (NC) in rural areas represents one of the main objectives of the EU’s rural development policy (RDP). In addition to creating environmental and biodiversity benefits, NC represents an important territorial asset and a basis to generate socio-economic second-order effects for economic competitiveness and rural viability. However, the regional capability to valorise NC depends on the specific regional context, needs and potentials, as well as targeted policy support.

The Continental Land Policy Initiative, now the African Land Policy Centre, has made tremendous progress in generating knowledge on land governance since inception in 2006. A key milestone was the formulation of a Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa in 2009 upon which the African Union Declaration on Land Issues in Africa was prepared and endorsed in Libya in July 2009.

Small-scale farmers in north-central Namibia face numerous challenges, ranging from low crop yields, high rainfall variability and land degradation which is threatening the long-term productivity of the land, to social changes that are reducing the work force available for farming. This paper aims to assess existing land use practices (LUPs) and to determine their relationship to ecosystem services (ES). As agriculture (crop and livestock farming) is the dominant land use in northern Namibia, it is the main driver influencing environmental services and will be in the focus here. We suggest

Publication shows how addressing land issues can mitigate conflict;facilitate solutions to it;improve the likelihood that people can return to their homes after the violence is over;and contribute to peace overall. Draws on cases in nine countries in the Arab States;Africa and Latin America;with a range of conflict parties: farmers;herders;landlords;villagers;mining companies;host communities;displaced people;gangs;and various levels of government.

Research in Sierra Leone reveals that the role of Paramount Chiefs and MPs in approaching communities for negotiations compromised Free;Prior and Informed Consent. Companies and local authority figures used vague references to ‘developmentto convince landowners to sign. There are a number of investments that could be classed as ‘speculativewhile customary decision-making regarding the agreement to lease land excluded women;junior men;and members of non-land-owning families. Concludes with policy recommendations.

Abstract

Land transformation has been at the centre of the economic growth of post-colonial Asia. In the 1990s, many Asian countries embraced economic liberalization and speculative business interests in land began to replace the state’s control of land for developmental purposes. The growing demand for land by corporations and private investors has fuelled several regional land rush waves in Asia, bringing them directly in conflict with communities that require these lands for their occupations and survival.