FAO’s Land Tenure Notes provide information on land tenure in a format that can be used by grassroots organizations which work with small farmers and others in rural communities. Improving secure access to land by the rural poor is essential in order to reduce poverty and hunger and to promote sustainable rural development. Improving people’s knowledge of their rights to land is an important part of making rights real, thereby allowing people to improve their livelihoods.

Este manual de formación se centra en cómo gestionar y resolver conflictos sobre los derechos de tenencia de la tierra, la seguridad de la tenencia y el acceso a la tierra en el campo del desarrollo rural. Resulta de las actividades complementarias realizadas con el Programa de apoyo a los medios de vida, de la FAO, (LSP) y la Unidad de Gestión y Tenencia de la Tierra y con la Coalición Internacional para el Acceso a la Tierra.

Since the 1970s and 1980s, community-based forestry has grown in popularity, based on the concept that local communities, when granted sufficient property rights over local forest commons, can organize autonomously and develop local institutions to regulate the use of natural resources and manage them sustainably. Over time, various forms of community-based forestry have evolved in different countries, but all have at their heart the notion of some level of participation by smallholders and community groups in planning and implementation.

Les Directives volontaires pour la gouvernance responsable des terres, des pêches et des forêts dans le contexte de la sécurité alimentaire nationale reconnaissent que des investissements responsables des secteurs public et privé sont essentiels pour améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et appellent à des investissements qui protègent les usagers et les propriétaires fonciers contre la dépossession des droits fonciers légitimes.

This Guide aims to assist indigenous peoples and their organizations on how to use the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security1 (hereafter “Right to Food Guidelines” or “Guidelines”) to promote their own interests in the area of food security.

La seguridad de la tenencia es un requisito previo importante para la gesti?n forestal sostenible. La diversificaci?n de los sistemas de tenencia podr?a proporcionar una base para mejorar la gesti?n de los boques y los medios de vida locales, especialmente cuando la capacidad de gesti?n forestal del Estado no es suficiente.

Throughout its history, Mozambique has had to deal with cyclones and floods, and when these are severe they have a devastating impact. Apart from the immediate threat to human life, such natural disasters seriously impede economic growth. There is no doubt that the Limpopo valley floods in 2000 were one of the worst flood disasters in Mozambique’s history. At least 700 people died, and some 500,000 to 650,000 were displaced and temporarily sheltered in over 100 camps set up by the government.

Improved access to gender-disaggregated data can be a catalyst to improving gender equality and provide opportunities for the so-called “Third Sector” of non-governmental and local organizations, especially those representing women. The Voluntary Guidelines underline that gender equality is at the core of all processes and aspects of tenure governance, including policy formulation, service delivery, and access to legal systems and information.

This thematic issue of the Land Tenure Journal brings together theories and practices related to land tenure and climate change both from the mitigation and adaptation perspectives. Articles look at the implications that REDD+ and Payments for Environmental Services pose to land tenure and administration, propose approaches to deal with the new challenges and analyse the adaptation of local tenure systems and livelihoods to climate change.

The Mozambique land law provides statutory recognition of customary land rights and is considered one of the most progressive legislations in Africa. However, the law continues to face implementation challenges, including the realization of equal rights for women and institutional reform. Simply having a progressive law ‘is not enough’ to bring about transformative change in a country.