Worldwide, Indigenous Peoples are stewards over vast tracts of vital forest lands, but often without proper legal protections. Now a new landmark report has shown conclusively that when Indigenous Peoples have secure tenure over the forests they live in, deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation are at the very least tempered, if not halted altogether.

Large-scale land acquisitions have been increasing in developing countries following the 2007/8 high food price crisis. Countries with limited agricultural potential, like Gulf states, have been driving foreign acquisitions in developing countries. Many developing country governments see these investments as an opportunity to increase foreign direct investment and employment opportunities for rural communities.

Guest post by Wytske Chamberlain and Wegayehu Fitawek of Land Matrix Africa, hosted by the University of Pretoria 

Despite its proven efficiency in protecting rainforests, Indigenous Peoples and local communities only receive a small share of funding for climate and biodiversity protection. 

For over a decade, data advocates have reserved one day out of the year to celebrate open data.  Now, more than ever, the world has turned to open data to support in addressing the complex and unprecedented challenges of our times.  The ongoing global pandemic, systemic racism and global poverty, are but a few of the global issues that require openness and transparency, if we want to eradicate them as the most pressing social, economic and political problems of our day.  

The theme for International Women’s Day this year was 'Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’.  It celebrated and highlighted the remarkable efforts made by women and girls around the globe to shape a more equitable future in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For over a decade, data advocates have reserved one day out of the year to celebrate open data. Now, more than ever, the world has turned to open data to support in addressing the complex and unprecedented challenges of our times. The ongoing global pandemic, systemic racism, sexual violence, climate change and global poverty, are but a few of the global issues that require openness and transparency, if we want to eradicate them as the most pressing social, economic and political problems of our day.

The theme for International Women’s Day this year was 'Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’.  It celebrated and highlighted the remarkable efforts made by women and girls around the globe to shape a more equitable future in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pilot study supports national roll-out of participatory land use planning

Sound, sustainable land management is critical to the long-term viability of Mongolia’s traditional herding way of life. And careful planning at local level, in a participatory and gender-inclusive way, is needed to underpin that.

What are the state-of-the-art and new approaches to land consolidation as part of integrated rural development strategies in North Africa and Near East? That was the main question around which several experts from Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Turkey joined the FAO/ RVO roundtable discussion on land consolidation during the Second Arab Land Conference last February; a session which 110 participants attended – both in person and online.

The Commission on the Status of Women convenes its 65th Session (CSW65) from 15-26 March. The priority theme of the session is “women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” In this blog, I will highlight some of the international and regional commitments as well as Tanzania’s legal framework which seek to improve women’s participation in land governing bodies.