Recent stories from Burma and Ethiopia illustrate the contentious issues surrounding the large-scale acquisition of land for agricultural production. In Ethiopia, the government may be re-assessing its policy of granting large tracts of land to investors, reducing the size of initial allocations and increasing the scrutiny of investors' capacity to achieve their proposed plans and fulfill contractual obligations.

A recent paper from the Global Canopy Programme, "Land tenure and fast-tracking REDD+: time to reframe the debate?" rightly points out that legally defensible and enforceable land rights are an essential condition for effective, equitable implementation of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus augmentation of carbon stocks). The authors assert that clear land tenure and usage rights determine who should be compensated for reducing deforestation or held accountable for continuing it.

On May 28, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) marked the one-year anniversary of the endorsement of Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security with a meeting that aimed to keep alive the spirit of understanding, cooperation and partnership that existed during the negotiations of the Voluntary Guidelines.

In Benin, food insecurity is evidenced in the height and weight deficiencies in 40% of children under age 5, the limited availability of farmland, and the lack of diverse produce options in markets. At the same time, where farming is possible, some families who move elsewhere leave fields in their home village unused in order to show their ownership.

A number of recent articles highlight the importance of strengthening property rights for Indigenous Populations (IP). In Botswana, the government’s attempts to relocate indigenous San (or Basarwa) populations continue to spark heated debate as well as lawsuits. In Nicaragua, indigenous communities are demanding action to halt illegal logging and encroachment by settlers. In Brazil, frustrated indigenous populations have stormed congress and occupied cattle ranches and dam sites.

A recent article published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) highlights the challenge of promoting forest management in areas that lack secure property rights, and the growing recognition that community forests need to be protected by the inhabitants themselves. Until inhabitants are secure in their right to the land and able to benefit from it, individuals will continue their rush to extract resources as quickly as possible for maximum personal benefit.

The results of this paper challenge the
conventional wisdom in the literature that productivity
plays no role in the economic development of Singapore.
Properly accounting for market power and returns to scale
technology, the estimated average productivity growth is
twice as large as the conventional total factor productivity
(TFP) measures. Using a standard growth accounting
(production function) technique, Young (1992, 1995) found no

Law N° 03/2013/OL of 16/06/201 Governing Land in Rwanda.

Law N° 03/2013/OL of 16/06/2013 Organic Law repealing Organic Law n° 08/2005 of 14/07/2005 determining the use and management of land in Rwanda.

On June 18, the 2013 G8, under UK leadership, announced bold steps to strengthen land governance and improve transparency in land transactions. G8 leaders expressed support for and announced a series of concrete steps to accelerate implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security and the African Union Land Policy Initiative (LPI).

Where the rights of communities to manage and benefit from good stewardship are clearly defined and respected, communities can play an important, leading role in achieving climate change mitigation objectives. According to the Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources, since 2009, a pilot REDD+ project supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) has resulted in measurable increases in sequestered carbon and payments to communities.

On June 14, the United States announced a Partnership with Burkina Faso, in coordination with the G8, to improve land governance and strengthen transparency. The Partnership will build on progress achieved under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact and the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Country Cooperation Framework with Burkina Faso, which support a number of the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of the Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security.