Download - Land Rights In Africa
Improving Land Rights to Promote Development in Africa
Land—a vital asset for millions of Africans
© 1997 Suresh Babu/IFPRI
Land rights are critical for development and can provide:
economic security
incentives to protect the environment
increased social status, especially for women
© 2006 Michele Pietrowski/IFPRI
Forms of land access and rights
jointly held by a group or members of a community
owned solely by an individual
based on customary law, or the social rules of a community
based on legal titles registered with the government
access to public property, such as forests or reserves
A community sweetpotato field in Kenya
In Africa, the poor often have rights to land, forests, or pastures when resources are held as common property
© 2006 Michele Pietrowski/IFPRI
Farmers in their field near Mpigi, Uganda
In Africa, more than 30 percent of the land is jointly held by a group or community
© 2004 Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI
Strengthening women’s rights to land and other assets improves:
agricultural productivity
household
welfare
women’s
decision-making power
© 2006 Michele Pietrowski/IFPRI
Land tenure needs to secure rights for:
multiple users women pastoralists forest peoples other poor or
marginalized groups
© 2006 Dhaki Tukuu
How can land tenure reforms strengthen the rights of women and the poor?
Individual legal title to land does not necessarily improve rights, especially for women and pastoralists
© 2006 Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI
Formal land titling often erodes, rather than improves, land rights
Poor households often lack money to officially register land and can lose access to resources when it is divided into private property
Individualized ownership fails to take into account common property arrangements and flexible boundaries based on customary law
Formal land titling often erodes, rather than improves, land rights
women and pastoralists can lose rights to land once held in common when property is titled to individuals
© 2006 Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI
Customary laws can also threaten land rights
Customary laws, while protecting common property, can often prevent women from owning and inheriting land
© 2003 Anna Temu/IFPRI
New approaches to improve land rights
Reform that reflects customary tenure has to ensure that rights of women, groups, and the poor are safeguarded
© 2006 Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI
New approaches to improve land rights
Provide legal advice to inform the poor of their rights
Alter bank lending rules to accommodate group rights
© 2002 Michael Rubinstein/IFPRI
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to reforming land rights in Africa
Innovative approaches to property rights can achieve equity, protect the environment, and improve the lives of the poor
© 2003 Anna Temu/IFPRI