Land governance and planning

Land governance includes the rules, processes and structures which determine decisions on access to land and its use. It also refers to the way those decisions are implemented and enforced, and how competing interests in land are managed. To avert large-scale food insecurity resulting from land, soil, water and vegetation degradation, it is critical to strengthen the policies and governance related to land management, address land‑use conflicts and balance competing demands on land and natural resources.

Increasing the area of public and private lands under sustainable management requires effective policy actions, appropriate partnerships and the recognition, safeguarding and documentation of legitimate tenure rights. For vulnerable groups, including smallholder farmers, women, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, fostering land stewardship also requires tenure security, long-term vision and the capacity to plan how territories will evolve. Land policy and integrated land-use planning can strengthen tenure security.

FAO promotes informed policymaking on land governance by supporting national, regional and global data systems, strengthening institutional capacities and developing knowledge management systems on land resources. FAO’s support focuses on participatory policy and legal processes, and integrated land-use planning, to ensure that no one is left behind.

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