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Context

The livelihoods of large parts of the world’s population depend directly on access to land. If access is denied, the results are often hunger and underdevelopment. According to UN World Food Programme estimates, half of the 815 million people suffering from hunger in 2017 were members of smallholder families. Many landowners and land users possess only informal or traditional land rights, which are often not sufficiently recognised.

Programme currently carried out in the following countries

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Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

118768500

10/15 - 06/26

544

569

570

591

617

673

689

709

723

778

7286

Global Programme Responsible Land Policy

Projects in this programme

Responsible Land Policy in Madagascar

Jul 2017 - May 2026

15440000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and has about 24 million inhabitants. 65 % of the population are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture and forestry, most of them working in subsistence agriculture (rice, maize and manioc). 70 % of the land is used for agriculture, including a high proportion of pastures, and only about 15 % of the land is still covered by forest. Deforestation and degradation of forest landscapes are some of the country's biggest environmental problems. Consequently, livelihoods and agricultural productivity in rural areas are increasingly endangered. As part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100),…

Responsible Land Policy in Uganda

May 2016 - May 2026

23650000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

With an average of 213 inhabitants per km2, population density in Uganda is very high in comparison with other African countries. The population is growing by more than 3.3% per year. Land in Uganda is increasingly being fragmented due to inheritance rules. As a result, land ownership is being split up and competition between different user groups is on the rise. This situation is exacerbated both by the presence of more than 1.4 million refugees from neighbouring countries (as of March 2020) and by large-scale land investment by national and international investors. Against this backdrop of growing competition for dwindling land resources, fair and…

Land Titles for Indigenous Communities in Peru

Nov 2015 - Oct 2021

6000000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

The Peruvian Amazon region is home to more than 50 indigenous peoples living in almost 2,270 communities. Around 30% of these communities – 680 – still have no collective land titles (government data 3/2020). This legal uncertainty causes disputes over land, exploitation of natural resources and growing pressure on indigenous territories as a result of infrastructure and industry projects and the influx of settlers from other parts of Peru. Over the decade until 2015, virtually no collective land titles were granted to indigenous communities. The reasons include a lack of clarity over responsibilities, inadequate capacity and budget limitations. The governing role for land…

Responsible Land Policy in Ethiopia

Jan 2019 - May 2026

12605000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

Ethiopia is chronically food insecure and suffers significant food deficits each year. To tackle this challenge, the Government of Ethiopia strives to increase agricultural production, access to markets and employment opportunities. Investments in commercial agriculture are considered one of the key elements in advancing economic development and supporting the country in achieving food security. In the past, Ethiopia promoted foreign and domestic investment in large-scale farming and identified about 3 million hectares for commercial agricultural purposes. To facilitate economic development, the benefits of such investments need to be shared with local…

Responsible Land Policy in Laos

Oct 2016 - Oct 2023

13060000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

With around 7.3 million inhabitants, Laos is relatively sparsely populated. The poverty rate in Laos continues to fall and is now around 18% according to the World Bank (2019). Over 70% of Laotians depend directly or indirectly on agriculture and forestry for their living. Almost half of all farming families rely on subsistence farming. To drive forward the country’s development, the Lao Government is investing in agriculture and forestry, mining, and hydropower. It frequently awards extensive concessions to investors from within Laos and from neighbouring countries, including Vietnam and China. Until now, the rural population has derived limited…

Responsible Land Policy in Burkina Faso

Jul 2020 - Dec 2025

6600000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2019, it ranked 182nd out of 189 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). 70% of the population lives in rural areas and is highly dependent on agriculture. However, almost no agricultural land is registered or legally recognized. This can threaten farmers' rights to use the land they cultivate and thus their entire livelihood. This situation is becoming increasingly problematic in the face of rising demand for land, caused not only by population growth, but also by the emergence of new players, such as agricultural investors, but also gold miners and real estate developers. With Law 034/…

Responsible Land Policy in Benin

Jun 2016 - Jul 2023

9200000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

Benin has 12 million inhabitants (growing 2.8% yearly) and a population density of 105 inhabitants per km². A large part of the population – around 70% – earn their living from agriculture which accounts for one third of Benin’s Gross Domestic Product. Unfortunately, lack of knowledge of the land law hinders urgently needed investment in rural areas. Less than 2% of the farmed land is protected by land titles. And of those titles less than 1% are owned by women. The informal land use system is largely unable to cope with the growing pressure on agricultural land. Disputes between local smallholders and nomadic or settled pastoralists are very common. The challenges in…

Responsible Land Policy in the Ivory Coast

Jul 2020 - Dec 2024

2900000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Context

The Ivory Coast is the largest cocoa producer in the world, and about 10% of GDP and 15% of government revenues are generated in this sector. However, as of July 2017, only 0.5% of the total agricultural land had a land certificate. At the same time, due to population growth the pressure on land increases. With a change of the forest law in 2015, the owners of land are also the owners of the trees planted on it. However, current land use contracts often remain informal and unclear. If land users for instance grow cocoa trees on the land they cultivate, this often leads to conflicts with landowners, as it is not clear, who is entitled to which form of land use or ownership…

Responsible Land Policy in Niger

Jan 2023 - May 2026

4000000.00

Euro

Currency Symbol

€

EU Currency NAL URI

http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/currency/EUR

ISO 4217 code

EUR

Niger is a landlocked country with 80% of its land area covered by desert. Only one eighth of the country's land area can be used for agriculture and livestock. Secure access to fertile land is therefore of vital importance as the country’s population economically depends on it. This scarcity of agricultural land is magnified by the extremely high population pressure in Niger, which has the highest fertility rate in the world. Small family farms mainly have traditional land tenure and use rights, which they may formally obtain, but in reality, this is practically impossible due to the low capacity and insufficient skills of the structures in charge of land tenure. In some parts of the…