Living Land: New FAO publication explores how legal frameworks can support sustainable land management
To mark the 2025 Desertification and Drought Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is launching Living Land – Taking a sustainable land management approach in law, a new publication developed by the Development Law Service of the FAO Legal Office and the Land and Water Division and, in collaboration with the land rights organization Landesa.
The publication highlights the critical role of legal frameworks in enabling sustainable land management (SLM) and addressing land degradation, particularly in agricultural areas, which account for more than 60 percent of the human induced degraded land worldwide. As demand for land and natural resources intensifies, SLM offers an integrated solution to promote sustainable agricultural production and productivity, protect ecosystems, and support rural livelihoods. The publication provides practical legal guidance within the context of international law and standards, helping governments and stakeholders adopt legal and regulatory measures that empower tenure rights holders and responsible authorities to implement sustainable land management practices.
Living Land explores how different legal domains—such as land tenure, soil conservation, environmental impact assessment, forest law, water governance, and spatial planning—can be aligned to support SLM more effectively. It addresses both sectoral and cross-cutting legal challenges, emphasizing the need for coherent and coordinated policies and regulations across different sectors and levels of government.
Structured as a practical reference guide, the publication features dedicated chapters on 13 legal areas and draws on legal instruments from a wide range of countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, the Philippines and Zambia. It highlights how innovative legal tools—such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), reforestation incentives, and inclusive governance models—can help scale up land restoration efforts and build resilience.
The publication also underscores the importance of inclusive legal reform, calling for the meaningful involvement of local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth in decision-making and implementation processes. By offering concrete legal approaches to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation, Living Land contributes to major global goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, the achievement of the Land Degradation Neutrality target.