OVERVIEW
Companies and investors increasingly recognize the risks associated with land conflicts and the importance of responsible land-based investments. Strong land rights help build sustainable supply chains and create a more stable, resilient, and productive environment for business. These efforts help companies obtain social license, or the confidence and trust that a business will behave in a legitimate, transparent, and socially acceptable way, within the communities where they operate. Moreover, rural communities with secure land rights are better positioned to benefit from economic opportunities that accompany such investments.
Recognizing that the private sector is part of the solution to land-related problems, Landesa works with companies, governments, civil society, and affected communities to empower rural women and men by clarifying and establishing their rights to land, strengthening their voices in decisions about land use in their communities, and supporting a more sustainable future.
We work directly with companies to build capacity to undertake land-based investments that are legally and socially sound, to navigate land risks and issues in their value chain, to facilitate relationships built on trust and transparency, and to meet global standards of responsible investment and value chain management—standards we help shape. And because no two investments are alike, our cross-disciplinary team of land tenure and gender specialists, economists, social scientists, attorneys and corporate social responsibility experts provide tailored and customizable guidance and resources designed to fit each context.
OUR WORK
Hover over each area of work to see examples.
Advise companies on policies and practices
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Unilever: Provided extensive assistance on corporate policies, supplier guidelines, and social auditing of land rights. Created ACRE Framework for PepsiCo to monitor and track land rights across supply chain.
Identify land tenure risks and assess progress toward meeting investment commitments
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa: Conducted land assessment and provided strategies to enhance women’s land rights and governance participation. ABInBev: Crafted due diligence metrics and trainings to mitigate business risk.
Create and shepherd grievance and dispute resolution mechanisms
GROW Africa: Developed guidance for participating companies on grievance mechanism design and implementation. Cargill and Proforest: Collaborated in developing guidance on addressing land rights grievances in palm oil production.
Train stakeholders to understand and meet best practices
Provide training, planning, and technical advice on policy implementation
Illovo Sugar: Provided ongoing recommendations regarding existing land disputes and built the capacity of company staff to implement policies. Wilmar: With other partners, helped develop protocols for assessing and addressing no exploitation grievances in Wilmar’s supply chain. PepsiCo: With other partners, supported the design of criteria for measuring progress on meeting sector-wide palm oil commitments on land rights.
Shape a better environment for land-based investments and value chain growth
Costco: Identified the effects of land tenure, women’s land rights, and other key factors on the cashew value chain in Ghana. Stora Enso: Strengthened both corporate and government land acquisition policies and practices.
oUR PROJECTS
Responsible Investments in Property and Land (RIPL)
Resource Platform
RIPL Resource Platform
The RIPL Resource Platform translates international guidance and best practices for responsible investments in agriculture into user-friendly guidance for businesses, communities, and governments.
GO TO RIPL SITE
LandAssess Tool
Risk Assessment and Management Framework
LandAssess Tool
The LandAssess Tool is a risk assessment and management framework. It provides a clear and simple set of checklists that generate a report to help companies assess and manage how they respect land rights. VISIT THE LANDASSESS PAGE
Social License Platform
Online Tool
Social License Platform
The Social License Platform (SLP) is an online tool designed to support companies and investors that are investing in agricultural land find the services and experts they need to help ensure investments create positive outcomes for both business and communities. The SLP facilitates partnerships between businesses and local service providers, such as consultancies, civil society organizations, local academics, and professional bodies, that can help businesses gain and maintain social license to operate, fulfill their commitments to international best standards and best practices, and ultimately, make more responsible investments. Landesa and its partners are developing the SLP with support from DFID.
GO TO SLP SITE