Agroecology
Agroecology is a holistic approach to farming so we can sustainably produce enough diverse food while protecting biodiversity and natural resources.
Managing land and its resources - IFAD
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Managing land and its resources
28%
of people in LMICs have limited access to land or tenure
of people in LMICs have limited access to land or tenure
46 000
producer groups sustainably managed natural resources with IFAD support
producer groups sustainably managed natural resources with IFAD support
1.4 million
hectares managed with climate-resilient practices
hectares managed with climate-resilient practices
© IFAD/Roger Anis
Access to land and natural resources is key to eradicating rural poverty. Managing them sustainably is crucial for a prosperous and resilient planet
Context
Small-scale farmers produce a third of the world’s food on less than a tenth of its farmland.
Yet in low- and middle-income countries, up to 28 per cent of people have limited access to land or don’t have security of tenure. Many rural poor people access land and other natural resources under informal systems with limited systematically documented rights. This leaves them vulnerable to dispossession by those who are more powerful.
Women make up nearly half of the global agricultural labour force, yet they account for only 15 per cent of agricultural landowners. In the absence of secure rights, they are particularly at risk of losing access and control over natural resources.
Farmland can turn into wasteland if natural resources, like soil and water, are not managed sustainably. Climate change and environmental degradation heighten the risk. Without security of tenure or the ability to manage land and its resources, rural people cannot safeguard it for future generations.
Opportunities
With secure land rights, smallholder farmers are more willing to invest in the land, diversify their incomes and access credit. They are incentivised to improve their farming techniques and sustainably manage natural resources. This contributes to more productivity, food security and income.
With effective land governance, poor rural people can access vital resources, like finance and insurance. This enables them to produce nutritious food and strengthen food systems, while increasing their income and building their resilience. They are also guardians of critical ecosystem services that everyone depends on, from clean air and water to crop pollination.
Women who govern their land and natural resources usually have a greater say in household investments and in community matters. Similarly, Indigenous Peoples use their deep historic knowledge of their local environment to manage their land and natural resources sustainably
What IFAD does
- IFAD is guided by our Policy on Improving Access to Land and Tenure Security and the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land.
We encourage good land and natural resource governance through participatory land-use planning and conflict resolution. We promote inclusive and responsible investment and multi-stakeholder dialogue.
As a founding member of the International Land Coalition, IFAD engages in global policy dialogue on land and natural resources.
We protect the collective and individual rights of the rural poor and prevent emerging conflicts over resources. We do this by investing in capacities and technologies that support land tenure systems.
GeoTech4Tenure is our online learning programme on using geospatial technologies and participatory methods to secure tenure rights.
We support communities to allocate land to women and provide legal support for women for land registration.
IFAD promotes agroecology to avoid over-exploiting natural resources and protect soil health, biodiversity and water resources.
Ecosystem services maintain productive environments that sustain rural livelihoods. Using satellite data, we analyse whether ecosystem rehabilitation efforts are working. We also support using payments for ecosystem services for rural development, such as carbon markets.
We use our Resilience Design and Monitoring Tool to identify how to support rural people to build their resilience to shocks and recover quickly.
Experts
Rikke Grand Olivera
Lead Global Technical Specialist, Land Tenure & Natural Resources Management
[email protected]