Landesa works to secure land rights for the world’s poorest people--those 2.47 billion chiefly rural people who live on less than two dollars a day. Founded as the Rural Development Institute, Landesa has partnered with governments and local organizations to help provide secure land rights to more than 100 million families since 1967. When families have secure rights to land, they can invest in their land to sustainably increase their harvests and reap the benefits—improved nutrition, health, education, and dignity—for generations.

Our work often starts with an invitation from a country struggling with the task of creating opportunity and a better future for its poorest citizens. There are typically four steps to our engagement:

RESEARCH — Field research to identify current conditions, laws, regulations, policies and cultural considerations;

DESIGN — Develop and review proposed changes to laws, programs, and regulations;

ADVOCATE — Educate public officials and the public about the changes necessary;

IMPLEMENT — Promote, plan, and assist in the adoption and implementation of these changes. Monitor and evaluate the implementation to learn from the process and recommend further changes and improvements where appropriate.