This brief prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute in conjunction with the System-wide Program on Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi) outlines and explains the complexities involved in attempting to strengthen property rights for the landed poor. Policies, procedures and legal frameworks aiming to increase tenure security must account for and adapt to particular political, economic, social, and cultural conditions as well as a variety of land tenure regimes. Land tenure reform, consisting of both legislative reform and implementation, is a long-term process that requires perseverance, determination, and occasional compromise on the part of practitioners, in addition to capacity building and a steady source of funding. While the establishment of pro-poor legislative frameworks is a crucial first step in the path towards equitable land reform, only effective implementation ensures positive results on the ground for the rural poor. For implementation to be truly impactful, stakeholders must understand their rights in order to defend them.
Keywords: customary land tenure, tenant systems, equitable land reform, governance.