Empowering millions of women and men with a powerful tool they can use to improve their lives:

LAND RIGHTS

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Read our 2023 Annual Report
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WHY DO LAND RIGHTS MATTER?

Around the world, people experiencing poverty often share three traits: they live in rural areas, rely on agriculture and forests to survive, and don’t have legal control over the land on which they depend. We offer the tools to help people lift themselves out of poverty. Stronger rights to land have the power to reduce poverty and conflict, increase economic activity, empower women, strengthen food security, and improve environmental stewardship — for an individual, a family, a community, and an entire country.
WHO WE ARE

ENGAGE

Landesa partners with progressive governments and civil society to develop pro-poor and gender-sensitive laws, policies, and programs that strengthen land rights for people experiencing extreme poverty. In Africa and Asia, our land rights experts work shoulder to shoulder with government officials, local leaders, and rural residents developing scalable, practical, and innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems – food insecurity, conflict, climate change, women’s lack of empowerment.
WHAT WE DO

EXPLORE

Strong, legal rights to land can provide people in rural areas with the opportunity, security, and incentive they need to invest in their land to improve their harvests and their lives. Learn more about the connection between land rights and the most significant challenges of our time, from nutrition to climate change, from inclusive economic development to gender equality.
RESOURCES

JOIN

In an era defined by concerns over food security, environmental sustainability, stubborn cycles of poverty, and conflict over land, strong land rights are critical. Landesa champions the power of land rights for people and communities in rural areas as a fundamental building block for a safer and more prosperous future. Join the global land rights movement—make your gift to Landesa today.
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RECENT NEWS
Research

Evaluating mangrove community forestry outcomes: a mixed synthetic control and field-based approach

October 15, 2024

Landesa contributed to a peer-reviewed study comparing 50 coastal villages with community forest (CF) certification to 50 control villages, revealing significant positive outcomes for mangrove conservation in Myanmar. CF sites saw reduced deforestation, enhanced regrowth, and a surprising spillover effect, where nearby non-CF areas also experienced increased forest cover. The study underscores the long-term benefits of government and INGO support, while highlighting the need for sustainable community management and governance to ensure continued success in protecting vital ecosystems.

Read Article
Field Focus Blog

National advocacy, local resilience: women’s land rights and climate change in South Asia

October 09, 2024

In this three-part blog series, we asked the Women-led Collective Advocacy for Climate Action national coalition leads about their work forming and strengthening coalitions, building capacity among women-led and women-focused civil society organizations, and scaling advocacy efforts for effective emergency preparedness, climate action, and gender-equitable and socially inclusive land rights.

Read Article
What's New

Staff Spotlight: Mardha Tillah

October 09, 2024

Meet Mardha Tillah, Landesa’s Coordinator of Programs based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She began working for Landesa in 2022.

Read More
What's New

Extreme climate conditions strain Africa’s livelihood and food systems

September 18, 2024

IPP Media — Landesa Land Tenure Expert Masalu Luhula was interviewed about how climate change is affecting agriculture, infrastructure, and other sectors in Africa. He shared: “There is a need to promote public awareness and gender inclusive decision-making in addressing climate change through different strategies related to adaptation, resilience, and mitigation.”

Read More
What's New

2024 Mid-Year Impact Report

August 15, 2024

Dive into the latest numbers and stories from Landesa’s work among communities, alongside local organizations, and in policy circles to strengthen land rights around the world.

Read More
What's New

Staff Spotlight: Corey Creedon

August 14, 2024

Meet Corey Creedon, Landesa’s Sustainable Land Use & Livelihoods Specialist based in the United States. Corey began working for Landesa in 2022.

Read More
Featured image for “National advocacy, local resilience: women’s land rights and climate change in South Asia”

National advocacy, local resilience: women’s land rights and climate change in South Asia

In this three-part blog series, we asked the Women-led Collective Advocacy for Climate Action national coalition leads about their work forming and strengthening coalitions, building capacity among women-led and women-focused civil society organizations, and scaling advocacy efforts for effective emergency preparedness, climate action, and gender-equitable and socially inclusive land rights.
Read More
Featured image for “To Safeguard Africa’s Forests, Protect Local Land Rights”

To Safeguard Africa’s Forests, Protect Local Land Rights

‍Africa’s forests and natural areas are an indispensable collective resource. Capably stewarded by the communities that have called these areas home for centuries, these forests can continue to ensure livelihoods while serving as a bulwark against climate change.
Read More
Featured image for “The Right to Steward: Protecting People and Planet in Asia’s Mangrove Forests”

The Right to Steward: Protecting People and Planet in Asia’s Mangrove Forests

The lives of Chumpou Khmao’s residents are woven into the roots of their mangrove forests. With the support necessary to gain secure rights, they can steward their forests to flourish for generations.
Read More
Featured image for “Nature-based carbon offsetting project incentives: An unintended form of social harm?”

Nature-based carbon offsetting project incentives: An unintended form of social harm?

Nature-based emission-reduction projects must ensure that their benefit sharing arrangements properly account for and transparently compensate local stakeholders for their labor and resources used in planting and managing trees.
Read More
Featured image for “No Climate Justice Without “Us””

No Climate Justice Without “Us”

Civil society representatives across Asia and Africa met in Dhaka this October to talk about the growing impact of climate change on land-based rural people across Asia and Africa. They crafted the ‘Dhaka Declaration,’ which calls on governments to center rural people, including women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, in climate change policy.
Read More
Featured image for “To Feed the World, Farmers Need Rights to the Land They Till”

To Feed the World, Farmers Need Rights to the Land They Till

Strong land rights are a crucial prerequisite to the climate resilience and sustainable land management necessary to bolster food security and reach zero hunger.
Read More
Research

Evaluating mangrove community forestry outcomes: a mixed synthetic control and field-based approach

October 15, 2024

Landesa contributed to a peer-reviewed study comparing 50 coastal villages with community forest (CF) certification to 50 control villages, revealing significant positive outcomes for mangrove conservation in Myanmar. CF sites saw reduced deforestation, enhanced regrowth, and a surprising spillover effect, where nearby non-CF areas also experienced increased forest cover. The study underscores the long-term benefits of government and INGO support, while highlighting the need for sustainable community management and governance to ensure continued success in protecting vital ecosystems.

Read Article
Field Focus Blog

National advocacy, local resilience: women’s land rights and climate change in South Asia

October 09, 2024

In this three-part blog series, we asked the Women-led Collective Advocacy for Climate Action national coalition leads about their work forming and strengthening coalitions, building capacity among women-led and women-focused civil society organizations, and scaling advocacy efforts for effective emergency preparedness, climate action, and gender-equitable and socially inclusive land rights.

Read Article
What's New

Staff Spotlight: Mardha Tillah

October 09, 2024

Meet Mardha Tillah, Landesa’s Coordinator of Programs based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She began working for Landesa in 2022.

Read More
What's New

Extreme climate conditions strain Africa’s livelihood and food systems

September 18, 2024

IPP Media — Landesa Land Tenure Expert Masalu Luhula was interviewed about how climate change is affecting agriculture, infrastructure, and other sectors in Africa. He shared: “There is a need to promote public awareness and gender inclusive decision-making in addressing climate change through different strategies related to adaptation, resilience, and mitigation.”

Read More
What's New

2024 Mid-Year Impact Report

August 15, 2024

Dive into the latest numbers and stories from Landesa’s work among communities, alongside local organizations, and in policy circles to strengthen land rights around the world.

Read More
What's New

Staff Spotlight: Corey Creedon

August 14, 2024

Meet Corey Creedon, Landesa’s Sustainable Land Use & Livelihoods Specialist based in the United States. Corey began working for Landesa in 2022.

Read More
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Land rights are a key that unlocks a world of possibilities, giving rural families hope, opportunity, and the tools to lift themselves out of poverty. Become a partner in this global movement.
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