Land is the single greatest resource in most countries
For most people, land is far more than a physical asset, it is the foundation of life itself. It underpins where people live, how they earn a living, and how food and other essential goods are produced, processed, and distributed.
At the same time, it is indispensable to climate regulation, the preservation of biodiversity, and the cohesion and resilience of societies. Billions of people depend on land for their livelihoods and food security. Yet many women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and small-scale producers continue to face insecure tenure rights and risk losing access to their natural resources. Insecure and inequitable land tenure, compounded by weak governance, remains a systemic barrier to sustainable development - marginalizing communities and exposing people to the risk of eviction from their homes and farms. Improving secure access to land is therefore essential to support sustainable development and resilient livelihoods, while addressing wider challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, and social stability.
Under the framework of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), FAO supports States and non-State actors in strengthening governance of tenure and advancing land reform processes. This work aims to achieve tenure security and equitable access to land for all, contributing to equitable, inclusive and sustainable rural transformation.
The status of land tenure and governance: progress in policy, lagging in practice
Tenure security and responsible land governance are crucial not just to guaranteeing rights over land, but also only ensuring productive and environmentally sustainable land use. Secure land rights and responsible land governance play a vital role in cultural identity, empowering individuals and communities to make decisions regarding their land use and management.
Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries & Forests
The CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries & Forests (CFS VGGT) serve as a reference and to provide guidance to improve the governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests with the overarching goal of achieving food security for all and to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security.
Key facts
23 percent of the global adult population, about 1.1 billion people, feel insecure about their land rights.
Only 35 percent of land worldwide is formally documented.
States have legal ownership of over 64 percent of land worldwide.
In 43 of 49 countries assessed, men are more likely than women to own land or hold secure land rights, with a gender gap exceeding 20 percentage points.
While customary land constitutes 42 percent of the world’s total, only 8 percent (1 billion ha) is formally recognized with documented ownership rights.
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