Rome – A novel report from the United Nations highlights the critical link between secure land tenure and preventing widespread land degradation, a problem affecting 1.7 billion people globally. The report, released Wednesday, draws a parallel to observations made nearly a century ago by American author Pearl S. Buck in her novel, The Great Earth, where she wrote that holding land is fundamental to survival.
The Inter Press Service report underscores that farmers are more likely to invest in long-term land improvements when they have secure rights to the land they cultivate. Conversely, insecure tenure leads to short-sighted exploitation of resources, accelerating land degradation. This is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where customary land systems often lack formal recognition, leaving communities vulnerable to encroachment and disputes.
According to the report, over 1.1 billion people globally believe their land rights could be lost within the next five years, a concern exacerbated by increasing financial pressures and displacement. Evidence from Ghana and Malawi demonstrates that farmers with informal or seasonal rental agreements are significantly less inclined to invest in sustainable practices like soil restoration and water management, fearing they may not reap the benefits before losing access to the land.
The issue disproportionately affects women, who hold only 15% of agricultural land worldwide. Even when women do own land, their rights are often vulnerable to dissolution in cases of divorce or the death of a spouse, reinforcing cycles of poverty and land degradation. Limited access to credit, insurance, and essential inputs further compounds these challenges.
Rising land demand can as well fuel conflict, as seen in Colombia, where unresolved land claims following the post-conflict period have led to tensions over agricultural expansion into forested areas. Similar disputes are emerging in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where weak legal recognition of customary rights and insecure land claims craft households susceptible to land grabs, particularly by large-scale investors.
Since 2012, approximately 70 countries have initiated land policy reforms, following internationally agreed principles endorsed by the UN to protect legitimate tenure rights, including customary ones. Though, the report notes that translating these legislative changes into tangible improvements on the ground has been slow. Dispute resolution systems remain weak, and the rights of women, Indigenous Peoples, and customary landholders are often inconsistently enforced.
The report estimates that reversing even 10% of degraded cropland could feed an additional 154 million people annually. Without intervention, the world could face a farmland deficit twice the size of India by 2050. However, secure land tenure alone is insufficient. The report acknowledges that half of global farmland is controlled by the largest 1% of producers, many of whom employ intensive production models that can contribute to land degradation if not accompanied by robust environmental safeguards.
Effective regulation, targeted incentives, access to finance and extension services, and strong institutional capacity are all crucial components of a comprehensive approach. The report concludes that whether increasing land demand, climate stress, and large-scale land acquisitions lead to instability or resilience will depend on the policy choices governments make. Ensuring farmers can hold their land, the report argues, is a prerequisite for incentivizing long-term land stewardship.