The land tenure challenges that youth face are complex and connected to larger issues of agency, assets, enabling environment, and contribution. Using a deliberate “youth lens” can play a critical role in strengthening young people’s sense of agency when it comes to land. In terms of cultivating awareness of land rights among those in rural…
In Rwanda, as in most African countries, land is one of rural citizens’ primary livelihood assets. Because Rwanda has the highest population density in Africa, however, land has often been a source of conflict. To redress such conflict and promote effective land policy, the USAID Rwanda LAND project partnered with Rwandan government institutions to research…
Agriculture is a key economic driver in Tajikistan, employing more than 75 percent of the labor force. Household farms are a vital source of income and food for rural households, but farms rarely provide enough for subsistence. The USAID Land Reform and Farm Restructuring Project (LRFRP) empowered citizens of Khatlon Province to exercise their property…
Ukraine has some of the world’s most fertile soil, but fragmentation of the land has limited the agriculture sector’s success: More than half of Ukraine’s gross agricultural product is generated by approximately 4 million smallholder farmers scattered across the country. The USAID Agriculture and Rural Development Support program worked with the government, businesses, and community…
Ukraine is the world’s fourth largest exporter of grain and top exporter of sunflower oil. The country’s agriculture sector is a major driver of the economy, employing nearly a quarter of the workforce. The USAID AgroInvest project supported Ukraine’s agriculture industry, improving access to finance and facilitating the creation of market infrastructure for small- and…
The signing of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) in 2006 revealed a need to reduce Peru’s illegal logging rates. To accomplish this, USAID’s Environmental Management and Forest Governance Support Activity, also known as Peru Bosques (“Forests” in English) project supports several objectives 1) to help the Peruvian government improve its institutions, forestry regulations,…
Michael Brown and Ailey Hughes propose that despite increasing informality of ownership, land tenure in Rwanda is “secure enough” to incentivize smallholder investment in land, but the emerging threats arising from the implementation of agricultural policies could constrain the country’s development gains in the future. Recommendations are offered to the Government of Rwanda.
Between June 26, 2010, and December 17, 2016, Chemonics International implemented the Southern African Regional Environmental Program (SAREP) and provided technical support to the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission to enable it to meet elements of the objectives in its strategic action plan (SAP), while responding to other related needs in areas adjacent to…
What is “secure enough” tenure? The concept of “secure enough” tenure has been discussed in the context of humanitarian and post-disaster programming and increasingly through donor initiatives. In our new paper, we adopt the following definition of secure enough tenure, established by USAID: “[T]he benchmark of tenure security [is] when rights to land and natural…
In October 2013, USAID launched the Feed the Future-funded Land Reform and Farm Restructuring Project (LRFRP). This $5.5 million, three-year project supported the continuing process of dehkan (individual or family) farm restructuring and recognition of property rights, leading to a market in land-use rights. This occurred through four key tasks: 1) legislative reform, 2) building the capacity of Tajik officials, farmers,…
USAID, in collaboration with Chemonics International, launched the 4-year, $9.4 million Rwanda LAND Project in 2012. The project strengthened the resilience of Rwandan citizens, communities, and institutions and their ability to adapt to land-related economic, environmental, and social change. This overarching goal was supported by efforts to assist the Rwandan government, civil society, and local communities to…
The timing, approach, and pace of land reform and collective farm restructuring throughout the former Soviet republics has varied dramatically – and in many places is still ongoing. Whether government chose to privatize land, guarantee land use rights, or keep the status quo of state ownership, land and access to it remains critical for millions…