How important are land reforms and an equitable distribution of land?
In rural societies, the landless, the near landless and those with insecure tenure rights often constitute the poorest and most vulnerable groups. These are the people who frequently suffer food shortages, have little control over their livelihoods and are among the first to suffer the effects of low rainfall, environmental degradation or rising prices. It is essential to empower poor rural people through equitable access to land and tenure security. In fact, IFAD considers it a strategic objective to help “ensure that, at the national level, poor rural men and women have better and sustainable access to . . . natural resources (land and water), which they are then able to manage efficiently and sustainably.” Otherwise, it will not be possible to reach the MDGs. One snag, however, is that governmental cadastres and legal titling often fail to capture the full range of established customary rights. Therefore, this approach does not always lead to improved security and greater investment
