FAO promotes responsible governance of tenure through global guidelines, tailored tools, capacity development and technical support to countries. This website shares resources, news, and updates on FAO’s efforts to strengthen tenure systems worldwide and ensure that natural resources are managed sustainably, inclusively and for the benefit of present and future generations.
FAO’s work on governance of tenure
Tenure is crucial to the livelihoods of billions of people. For many, their food security is linked to their tenure security. People with weak, insecure tenure rights risk losing their means to support themselves if they lose their access to natural resources. Women often have weaker tenure rights where there is discrimination in laws and customs. Tenure systems define who can use which natural resources, for how long and under what conditions. Many tenure problems are caused by weak governance and attempts to address them are affected by the quality of governance.
What we do
Highlights
Where we work
Teams implementing projects to improve the governance of land tenure are increasing their technical capacity by sharing experiences and learning from each other.
Latest publication
Land and conflict | Land Tenure Journal No. 1–26
04/2026
Focuses on the increasing incidence of land disputes driven by population growth, climate change, migration and conflict, and their implications for development, food security and peace. It reviews responses to improve land governance, including legal reforms and tenure formalization, while recognizing their limitations, and highlights more inclusive approaches.
Latest event
11/11
2026
Land Tenure Journal: Virtual launch event for the special issue “The role of the VGGT in advancing land policies and reforms"
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital (Italy), 11/11/2026
How have the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) contributed to...
9/11
2026
CFS Resources Toolkit – Turning Global Standards into local action
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital (Italy), 09/11/2026
Join the second session organized by the responsible agricultural investment (RAI) team to discover FAO’s new publication,
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The status of land tenure and governance: Progress in Policy, Lagging in Practice
11/03/2026
Tenure security and responsible land governance are crucial..