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...
by lwang | Oct 19, 2011 | BRAC, Poverty Reduction, Sustainable Development
The Huffington Post published an article by BRAC USA President and CEO Susan Davis, who discussed this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners: Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemen’s Tawakul Karman. To Davis, the newest Nobel laureates highlight the importance of female empowerment. “For BRAC, the organization I am privileged to be a part of, these leaders symbolize everything we stand for: The empowerment of women clears the path to peace and prosperity.” Davis recalled that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf urged BRAC to bring its strategies to Liberia in 2007. BRAC responded and has been working to create sustainable development in Liberia and many other countries. “Founded in 1972, BRAC is on a drive to apply solutions created in its native Bangladesh to defeating poverty in Africa. We do this by removing the causes of poverty and hunger at the root with a comprehensive approach geared toward individual empowerment. This includes providing millions of micro-entrepreneurs with better opportunities via micro-loans, improving access to markets, and building institutions to provide better health care and education.” In just 39 years, BRAC has expanded all over the world – and now you can trace its influence to a Nobel Peace Prize winner. “Women Like Sirleaf and Gbowee Clear Africa’s Path to Prosperity” [Huffington Post, October 7,...
