by lwang | Jan 12, 2012 | Education, Landesa, Roy Prosterman, Tim Hanstad
2006 Kravis Prize winner Roy Prosterman’s organization, Landesa, which helps the world’s poor secure land rights, has come a long way since its inception in 1981. Today, their work spans all across the globe, including Odisha, India, and impacts development in a variety of ways. For example, did you know that the lack of land titles could affect one’s access to educational opportunities? In an article published in the Huffington Post, Landesa President and CEO Tim Hanstad explains that owning land titles is crucial to improving school enrollment rates in developing countries: “So, what can be done to make sure that all children get that chance? Part of the answer lies in the land. In the [Indian] state of Odisha, at least 40 percent of rural families, many of whom are tribal, lack legal rights to the land on which they depend. Often they’ve been farming this land for generations but without legal title. Without this documentation, they often cannot access the free tuition and related services and subsidies to which they are entitled.” Thankfully, Landesa has partnered with the Odisha government to help families gain their land patta, or land title document, which has helped many children receive the free admission or stipends that the Indian government provides to certain tribes. During a visit, Hanstad made some observations on how the land titles have impacted the society: “As I saw in Odisha, land rights not only yield productive farmers. They also nurture students who grow to become engineers, doctors, executives, parents, elected officials, scientists and productive members of society in countless other ways. That ‘second harvest’ has an...
by lwang | Dec 8, 2011 | Landesa, Poverty Reduction, Roy Prosterman
In 1981, 2006 Kravis Prize winner Roy Prosterman founded the Rural Development Institute (RDI), now Landesa, with a mission to secure land rights for the world’s poor. Landesa partners with governments around the world to extend land rights to the poor and has offices in the U.S., China, Russia and India. NPR recently discussed Landesa’s program in India, which employs young men from 12 local villages and trains them to help people through the process of acquiring title to their land. NPR interviewed RDI India State Director Sanjoy Patnaik, who discussed the pilot program in Chillipoi: “Our prime focus is securing land to the world’s poorest. And as you see, this village displaced for 40 years without titles, no food. So these are the people who actually need the kind of facilities and support that Landesa is providing.” According to the broadcast, 19 families have received title papers to their homesteads so far. Patnaik says the next big challenge for the project will be to scale up the pilot programs into an operation that can provide land title for up to 18,000 families. Listen to the broadcast here and find out more about Landesa Founder Roy Prosterman...
by lwang | Oct 26, 2011 | Landesa, Roy Prosterman, Sustainable Development, Tim Hanstad
As China’s economy develops, so does its landscape. But, according to Bloomberg, not always with the consent of Chinese farmers or landowners. Bloomberg reported that in China, “city governments rely on land sales for much of their revenue” and that the country is “increasingly seeking to cash in on real estate prices that have risen 140 percent since 1998 by appropriating land and flipping it to developers for huge profits.” The Wall Street Journal recently published an op-ed by Landesa President and CEO Tim Hanstad, who also discussed the lack of property rights for Chinese farmers. Hanstad cited significant findings from Landesa’s nationwide survey, which he said shed light on how rural reforms can help maintain “continued growth and social harmony” in China. “Only about half of all villages have given farmers legal documentation of their land rights. Local authorities are charged by the central government with issuing such documents, but often lack the political will or funding to do so. Lack of this kind of documentation is a significant economic hurdle. Landesa’s survey found that farmers with legal land contracts are 76% more likely to make long-term, productivity-enhancing investments such as greenhouses, orchards, irrigation and terracing. By fully implementing current laws and protecting farmers’ land rights, China’s government could effectively increase farmers’ land values (for agricultural use only) by roughly $750 billion, according to Landesa’s estimates.” Gao Yu, China director of Landesa, also sounded off on Chinese land development, noting that “the seizures frequently lead to local officials violating farmers’ rights that the national government has sought to improve since 1998 when it gave them 30-year tenure over...
